Frozen Garden of Words
by TheBlueAmethyst
Summary: Ice has to melt at some point, but in this case, it was hard to know how to do so. Fortunately, Fate has its ways to let her voice reach him. Requested by Shiranai Atsune. Slow burn GrayxOC. [Roleswap AU!]
1. Routine

**AUTHOR'S NOTE [7/15/2018]:** Revised a couple sections, added a few extra in-between scenes and corrected a few details.

This story is a request fic I've been putting off for a long time after my love for this show nearly fizzled after that honestly stupid last arc Mashima put out (just… why?). In any case, I do hope this fanfic is enjoyable.

…

 **[9/20/2017]:** Original release date.

…

 **PREMISE** : Natsu is the Fairy Tail newbie after a chance encounter with Lucy. Levy is from Phantom Lord who crucified Gajeel, Droy, and Jet. Gray is also from Phantom Lord who falls in love with Juvia at first sight and becomes a member of Fairy Tail to obsessively stalk her. Erza became a slave of Zeref while Jellal escaped from the Tower of Heaven, etc. Original AU concept by fantothegirl.

 **WARNING:** This fic contains crude language/humor, spoilers, graphic violence, angst, death, headcanons/fanons, and a dash of insanity.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairy Tail as it's owned by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

* * *

 **Chapter 1** : 

Routine

* * *

 _"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."_

It had been a quote by a famed philosopher that had been ingrained in her mind, thanks to a certain blonde mage, and never had she felt those words ring out clearly since the day she saw him.

Hatsune muffled her sigh as she let her emerald green eyes sweep across the guild hall, where many of the guild members see fit to do the usual ruckus, rough-housing and merrymaking. Despite the rambunctiousness, the orange-haired woman couldn't help but feel a tad bit annoyed and conscious at the intense gaze digging into her back—though it was mostly directed at the seemingly oblivious bluenette beside her.

Given, she wasn't exactly unused to being stared at thanks to her previous experience at her past guild, but this was just… strange.

It also didn't help that the person hiding—and was surprisingly adept at doing so—behind the stacks of crates in the corner was one Gray Fullbuster, who had sported the look of an eager predator stalking its prey.

Admittedly, she would've just normally brushed him off like any other, but no. The black-haired mage, new addition he may be, had unwittingly piqued her interest.

Why exactly?

As a person who loved the cold, she definitely appreciated Gray being an ice mage. Of course, beyond that cool, aloof exterior he always showed, she could see he was struggling to socialize with the others, which she could relate to. Her first few days at the guild had been painfully awkward, and she was sure she wouldn't have survived through it without the one who got her to join in the first place.

She wasn't the same person she had been. Her guildmates were more open and close to her for the past four years. She had grown, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Of course, one would ask, wouldn't that mean she should just waltz up to him and try to get him to open up? Why was she making such a big deal of it?

No, she wasn't an optimist, nothing was easy. As confident as she may be in her ability to handle these kinds of situations, she could also see that his case ran deep. It frankly both frightened and worried her, which was the ultimate reason she had idled.

The only silver lining was that he was improving day by day, however miniscule, thanks to a certain someone.

Glancing at the person the look was being directed at, she opened her mouth to make small talk. "So, Juvia, do you have any plans this weekend?" she asked, noting how Gray perked up at the topic.

Hatsune felt a sliver of amusement at that.

Love had a way of changing people. It was a fact she had witnessed firsthand in the guild (Alzack and Bisca were the primary example), so for Gray to be infatuated with Juvia was actually a thing to be celebrated. His stalking was a clear sign of interest—though she hoped it was of only the _good_ kind. Her best friend needed someone to spice up her love life, and the male needed someone to talk to even if he was a bit of an oddball. A win-win situation, and despite her unusual gripes, she resolved to find out more about him somehow.

The water mage looked over at her with a slightly raised eyebrow, lowering the juice she was sipping at. "Hm, not really..? Juvia thinks that maybe she should actually go on a mission, seeing as Juvia is low on money after the… little accident our _darling_ Celestial mage did."

She blinked, just as a flash of yellow bounded over in front of their table with a sharp look in her brown eyes.

"What was that?" said mage hissed, shoulder-length blonde hair swishing violently in her face at her abrupt stop.

Juvia coyly smiled. ' _Oh no,'_ Hatsune thought, completely pushing her earlier ruminations to the back.

"Juvia said that Lucy could've maybe avoided destroying more buildings during our last mission. Hatsu agrees with Juvia, right?" At that, Lucy's head swiveled over to her and the pony-tailed girl bit back the urge to shrink into herself. Lucy's glares could be on par with Jellal's at times, and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of _that_ either.

Hatsune gave the celestial mage the best disarming smile she could muster. "I do think that the mayor got really furious."

Lucy crinkled her nose, but didn't reply and instead frowned at the blue-haired woman. "I've already apologized for that, Aquarius admittedly went a bit overboard after my... comment."

Hatsune visibly cringed, remembering the shouting match that had ensued between the blonde and the aggressive Zodiac Spirit.

"It still doesn't solve our finance problem, does it?" Juvia retorted, a challenging look on her face.

"No but like I said, it was an accident, a one-time thing!" she barked back, arms steadily moving into a battle pose. "How many times do I have to tell you that, Soggy Tits?"

The water mage slowly got up with a mocking grin, though Hatsune spotted the twitch of her eyes at the comment. "Maybe you should learn more control then, Bratty Princess."

"Guys, relax? I thought we were over this," the orange-haired woman said tiredly, feeling the atmosphere around them grow tenser. ' _Please don't, you two,'_ went unsaid as she watched them cautiously.

Lucy's eyes gleamed in irritation. "Oh? Funny hearing that from you, Depressing Raincloud. Didn't you blast a huge chunk of houses away with that one attack?"

"At least Juvia didn't destroy half of the city block, Dominatrix."

The blonde chuckled darkly, a hand wrapped around the whip strapped on her belt. "Aw, do you want me to punish you?" she purred, one hand placed on top of her green tank top.

"Aw," Juvia cooed with the same sickly, sweet tone, hips swaying a bit to the side and making the ends of her knee-length blue coat flutter. "Looks like a little someone's proud of that title, maybe Juvia should try taking the whip and spank you instead to teach you a lesson."

Juvia was starting to rear back, and Hatsune looked back and forth between them worriedly.

Great, Mavis knows that these two brawling would be a nightmare to stop unless Jellal got here. Honestly, pry these two apart and they're completely different people! Rivalries were weird… How these two survived being childhood friends, she had no clue.

Before the blue-haired woman could throw another barb, Hatsune pinpointed the beginnings of the sound and reduced it to nothing just as the woman's lips flapped. Nothing could be heard of whatever insult she spewed out and Juvia paused in confusion, expression mirrored by Lucy. Dark blue eyes gave the sound mage an accusatory look to which she replied with a shrug and a small sigh of relief.

Hopefully this should stop them. She didn't want a certain someone to get thrown into the mix as a meat shield like last time.

"I don't get why you two have to do this at all," she mumbled exasperatedly, hand reaching out to massage her temple. "Can you two please calm down?"

The blonde simply crossed her arms with a smug look, her keys jingling in the process. "Oh, what's this? Cat got your tongue? Too ba—"

And Lucy got socked in the face, knocking her back into the adjacent table… where she landed on top of a poker game between the older mages. Frustrated and horrified screams rang out while the celestial mage got up, black shorts peering from under her skirt.

Lucy cocked her head with a devilish grin. "You're so dead."

Eyes widening, Hatsune immediately dived away just as Lucy moved in a blur, poised to kick Juvia in the head. The sound mage started crawling the moment she hit the floor, chancing a glimpse at fight. The blue-haired woman had grabbed Lucy by her ankle, though the blonde used that as leverage to lift other foot and hit Juvia square in the face. She winced at the sound, watching in morbid fascination as Juvia fell back with a grunt, still holding on to Lucy.

Hatsune suddenly felt the back of her head bump into someone's legs. "Ah, sor—"

She looked up, and swallowed when she saw the distant look of Gray, outright ignoring her presence by his feet. She felt her cheeks burn a bit while she continued to stare, a small voice in her head giddy at the chance to be this up close to him without looking too weird and revel in the cold aura around him.

Her eyebrows creased when she noticed the way his expression would change every few seconds, and with a glance, she found that every flinch, frown, or look of awe was in response to Juvia's fighting.

There was a small pang in her chest, and with a suppressed whine, she desperately stomped the feeling away.

Why in the world was _he_ making her feel this way?

 _His sad, lonely eyes were glazed over, and for a moment Hatsu stopped to stare openly in shock. He looked… lost, hands dropping to his side and body slouched over like a puppet that got half its strings cut._

 _"You…" She exchanged a glance with her guildmate and Juvia's eyes softened a fraction._

 _The deadly ice around the roof had begun to thaw, their battlefield melting like the walls the odd man put up. She'd always loved the cold, but it felt unnerving once she saw something that made her heart twinge in pain._

 _He was crying._

She waved the old memories away and instead looked at the growing dissent.

"—idiots are going to break everything!" she heard someone say distantly amongst the rumbling crowd, gaze landing on a upset Laxus standing behind the bar's counter, hands neatly lining up the glasses he was cleaning with a cloth.

Her face soured as well.

Maybe she should do something. She couldn't just observe them wreck the place to shreds—ah, more members are wreaking havoc, some of them are starting to use their magic as well—and she had to stop before they get badly injured. Plus the Master and Jellal would be furious when they get back, especially since it's only been a week since this place has been fully renovated from the attack by Phantom Lord two months ago.

A member sailed over her head, and she caught them by the arm to prevent them from slamming into the nearby barrels. She acknowledged the pained mumbling of gratitude with a distracted nod.

Yes, perhaps it's best to get this over with.

She got up on her feet with one swift movement, but Hatsune paused to awkwardly shift in place. She fussed with her dark silver-trimmed jacket that had ridden up during her escape, glancing a few times at the nearby black-haired mage. The weird butterflies in her stomach were back, and with it was the blood rushing to her cheeks at every micro smile he had on his good-looking face.

Alright, _maybe_ there was a chance that she may have a crush on the guy. It was the only thing that could explain why she felt the way she did, and denying the possibility was foolish. But, he liked Juvia, and she was of the personal opinion that one should like a person by personality and not by surface-level traits.

 _'He's also a stripper, a stalker and aloof_ ,' her brain reminded her.

Why was this so difficult?

Hatsune sighed as she snatched a piece of wood about to hit her forehead. She should settle the current mess before playing matchmaker.

 _'But what would he think if I…'_ The sound mage grimaced, suppressing the urge to huff. ' _Gah, focus Angelbeat! You need to get this mess straight, so no gawking!'_

Skulking off to where she didn't feel all mushy, Hatsune approached the bar that was kept safe from the warzone. Laxus shot her a confused look once she took a seat on one of the stools, only winking in response.

Hatsune turned around, and mumbled _' **Voice Change** ' _before yelling:

 _"_ Stop the scuffle this instant unless you want me to chase you and _stab you to death_! _"_

Her eyes surveyed the room, content at the terrified, pale faces and people who became as still as a statue. She let a tiny smirk slip unto her face. Jellal's voice was always fun to use, seeing as how it affected everyone.

One of the members whose name and face doesn't ring a bell yelled out. "Oh come on Hatsune, I almost pissed my pants! Stop it with the ventriloquism!"

Her face twitched. "How many times do i have to say it's my magic?!"

A few laughs ensued at her bruised dignity. However, before she could give them a piece of her mind, the front doors slammed open and she instinctively braced herself at the familiar magic signature.

There stood the real Jellal Fernandes in his usual combination of light weight armor and billowing robes, and his smile faltered when his gaze roamed the area.

"What the hell," he slowly punctuated every word, and the sound mage saw his face instantly morph into one of anger. "What have you _deviants_ done?! The tables and chairs have been overturned–some destroyed alongside barrels of beer! The walls, which I remind you one of you just painted over a few days ago, got new scorch marks, and some of the support beams look ready to _collapse_! Whoever did this, come forward _immediately_! _"_

It had become deadly silent as Jellal spoke those final words. It _was_ a literal death sentence for anyone who incurred the wrath of Fairy Tail's Oberon. Whispers and blames were being passed around, and eventually the majority had pointed their fingers at the two rivals.

Jellal's glare turned deadly sharp. "So, it's you two. _Again._ "

The sound mage simply spun to face Laxus, who was giving her a funny look.

"Give me a chocolate parfait please," she said in her normal monotone voice.

The bartender blinked a few times before he shook his head and scampered off, muttering _"Weird-ass guild members"_ under his breath. She tapped the counter as she lent half an ear to the scene behind her; heavy boots thumping over to a corner, accompanied by the drag of cloth on the wooden floor.

"You two are coming with me. The rest of you, stay here and clean up _or else,_ " Jellal said in a more controlled manner, lugging two heavy objects she deduced had to be the two cowering women.

Audible gulps were heard and the door shut again. A few broke out in relieved sighs while most went ahead to follow his orders, though not without some grumbling courtesy the older mages like Macao and Wakaba. Hatsune shook her head at their reluctance, and instead tried to catalog the damage.

With a decisive nod, she figured she should help clean up all the broken bits of wood after she finished her dessert.

She blinked when a shrill voice broke out into hysterics at the sight of the decimated beer—obviously Gildarts by that dramatic sobbing. From the corner of her eye she saw an indignant-looking Gajeel tapping his foot impatiently, holding a broom towards Levy who had her eyes glued to a thick tome.

Curiosity made her gaze linger on the odd scene, just as the tiny girl sighed and flashed him an amused look. In an act almost too fast to catch, Levy snatched the broom from Gajeel who nearly went out of balance. The tiny girl stifled a laugh, and the dragon slayer gave her an exasperated stare. Huh, when did those two become close?

"Gee, Jellal's really crazy scary." Hatsune glanced at the pink-haired mage who she only now noticed sat next to her, hiding the lower half of his face under his scarf. He was fiddling with the end of his open black vest, eyebrows scrunched up. "I wonder if he got taught by a dragon at some point, he has the lungs for it…"

She raised an eyebrow at how he was getting increasingly loud with his mumbling. "If he did, he'd be even more terrifying."

Natsu's head snapped up to her with his trademark silly grin. "Yeah, he's more of a demon."

"That sounds even worse," she quipped just as her order was placed in front of her. "Thanks Laxus."

"No problem," Laxus said before turning his attention to Natsu with a smirk on his face. "You know, I'd have thought you'd be the center of the chaos earlier."

Natsu's grin stretched even wider. "Well, it's not me this time!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just glad the old man forbade you from making a mess in the guild like last time."

This time the pink-haired mage had the decency to look sheepish. "Ahehe, I did say I was sorry."

"Ah, whatever, as long as you don't give the guild more paperwork. That shit's too tiring to deal with. And let me guess, the usual?"

The dragon slayer nodded vigorously and Laxus once again disappeared into the kitchen.

Hatsune would've been fine continuing to scrutinize the labels of the many wines and rare drinks on display while enjoying her parfait in peace, but a fidgety dragon slayer was to say the least, distracting. Not to mention the heat he was radiating was uncomfortable—for her standards anyway. Not that she could say that to his face though, since they weren't close.

Clearing her throat, the ponytailed woman inclined her head towards him. "So, uh, how'd your day go?" she asked.

Natsu straightened from his seat, clearly surprised at the casual question. "Just fine, we finished buying groceries earlier."

She hummed in acknowledgement, but something was off. "Why's Happy not with you though?"

He scratched his head with a contemplative look. "He's fishing. We didn't have enough money for more fish because of last time."

"I thought you said you got it covered?"

"Yeah, but…" he trailed off with a scowl.

The sound mage raised an eyebrow. "Did you accidentally destroy a building on another mission?"

His guilty grin said it all.

First Juvia, then Lucy and now Natsu… yeah, it looks like they needed to go on a job. While Hatsune didn't need the money urgently, she was overcome with the urge to help out.

Unbidden, memories came flooding.

That job of theirs was the first time she had joined the three of them—Jellal had been on another mission back then—and it was a disaster barely averted. She had been excited because it had been a while since she went out on a mission with Juvia, being her former partner before the formation of the 'strongest team in Fairy Tail'. However, with all the bickering Juvia and Lucy had done alongside the ambush the bandits orchestrated, not to mention Natsu's destructive tendencies, it had ended with an abysmal amount of collateral damage they had to pay for.

They were lucky no one else other than their intended targets had gotten hurt, or else those horrified looks from the villagers would've been much more potent. There was enough stigma against Fairy Tail as it was…

The sound of loud chewing had drawn her out of her thoughts and she dodged a piece of bone that nearly struck her cheek.

Hatsune gave the pink-haired mage an exasperated look. "Natsu… eat slower."

He only smiled at her with his cheeks as puffed up like a chipmunk, which she'd have deemed adorable if not for all the food particles flying towards her. She exchanged minor disgusted glances with Laxus, who was glowering at the dragon slayer.

"Natsu, if you don't slow the hell down, I'm never gonna give you food again," he growled.

"Bwut Ifmp hungweh!" he declared in between bites of the large turkey leg he was holding, and Hatsu scooted over another seat. She just narrowly avoided the rain of spit that would've stained her white pants. She'd have told him off even further, but decided against it since it was _Natsu_ and she didn't want to come off as overbearing.

Laxus glared at him even harder. _"_ Natsu. _Slow the hell down_."

Said teen continued to noisily eat.

The bartender's expression looked murderous, and Hatsune figured that he had it handled. With a shrug, she returned to idly eating her parfait until the doors opened again. A loud thud and two moans of pain tipped her off that the rivals were deposited by the entrance, and the clank of metal getting closer made Hatsu turn around.

Jellal had a serious expression on his face. "Hatsune, do you mind?"

"No. I assume this about the reason for the fight?" she asked, pushing her empty glass aside.

He sighed. "Sadly, yes. I've come to understand the situation and while things could have gone better..." He threw the disgruntled pair a glare that made them pale in fright. "… It is what it is. So, I believe that we should take a job to get the issue straight."

She reeled back a bit in realization. "Wait, you're going with us on a mission?"

"Yes, if my memory serves me right, there's a high-paying request still posted on the board. I was initially thinking of tackling it alone but I figured it'll serve us well." The tattooed mage jogged over to the board, scanning the various papers and pulling one buried under the rest before returning. "This job asks for a team to exterminate various demon-like beasts terrorizing a small settlement called Ensata."

She went over the details on the request, mildly interested in the crudely drawn horned beasts reminiscent of the ones you'd see in creepy children storybooks. What really caught her eye though, was the epically large reward.

"Hold on, one million Jewels?" she exclaimed. "With a reward this big, I'd have thought a group like the Takeover Hosts would've gone."

It's strange that she didn't see it while she was looking for any extermination missions. Was it recent? She doubted it, since it had appeared to be there for a while. If they're asking for a group of mages then…

Jellal chuckled in agreement. "Yes well, the Strauss' have been busy as of late. Also, this was sent just two weeks ago."

"I think so yeah," Laxus chimed in. He paused, disappearing under the counter to grab a logbook and leafing through it. "The demons are off guarding some prissy noble. Hmph, too bad, they're missing out on a good smack-down."

"Huh." She leaned back in her seat with a frown. "Who's going with us?"

"You and a few others," he waved off vaguely.

She crossed her arms, sending him an unimpressed look. "I know those two are coming since you're supervising them for their previous reckless behavior," she stated with a gesture towards the two rivals engaged in a glaring contest. "If that's the case, perhaps you'd like to invite the eavesdropper beside me as well."

There was a choked noise, but she paid it no mind while Jellal smiled at that. "Yes, I was considering it."

"Good to know."

This time he turned to address the mage who was trying and failing to look inconspicuous. "So Natsu, you're coming with us."

The dragon slayer grinned awkwardly, and Hatsune raised an eyebrow at the bump on his head. Laxus' handiwork, it seems.

The blue-haired mage laid the request on the counter. "If my memory is correct, the area is situated near waters of Crocus' forests so… yeah, I'm sure. Once we're all assembled on the way, I'll talk plans. We'll set out tomorrow morning if that's alright with you two?"

"I'm more than ready!" Natsu's enthusiasm made him pump a fist.

She shrugged. "Sure."

Jellal's smile widened. "Alright, pack enough for a week then. I'm expecting you guys to be early."

The sound mage really wanted to call him out for not elaborating, but she trusted Jellal enough to know he'd already had a set up in mind.


	2. Briefing

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairy Tail as it's owned by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

* * *

 **Chapter 2** **:**

Briefing

* * *

There were a few things that got under Hatsune's skin, and even then, they came rarely and she took great steps to avoid them.

 _'Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic…'_

This was one she couldn't exactly avoid.

Hatsune took a deep breath, twirling a strand from her ponytail in her fingers while trying to remain perfectly calm. They were on the train ride to Crocus, and she was sitting next to Gray and Juvia.

 _Gray_ and Juvia _._

Keyword, trying.

 _'What is my life,'_ she lamented, resisting the urge to glance at the heavily dressed Ice mage who was donning a black shirt under a white coat, black pants and hiking boots. She would've honestly preferred him stripped down so she could remind herself of reasons _not_ to act like she'd bolt out of her seat.

Why did she have to find out she had a stupid crush in the first place?

She tilted her head down to prevent anyone seeing her blush. She was letting herself get carried away with first impressions, and she had no wish to take away the possibility of a friend's suitor away unless she had clear convictions.

Hatsune let out a sigh and focused on vocalizing a tune that randomly popped in her mind.

Jellal was nodding off, and he sent the sound mage a relaxed smile before closing his eyes. Lucy threw her a grateful look when the sickly Natsu started to settle a bit, though he still seemed a bit green. Happy rested on Lucy's lap, mumbling something about large fishes. Juvia bumped into her and muttered a " _May I?_ " to which she just shrugged and allowed the blue-haired woman to sleep on her shoulder. Gray had promptly dozed off.

That left only her awake, not that she minded since her brain was being too hyperactive at the moment. Rather than think of the cool presence beside her, Hatsune decided to go over their battle plans once more.

After they meet up with the client, they were to split into two groups each; one acting as a 'tracker' and support while the other was the heavy hitter.

The first pair was Lucy and Natsu, a given with their natural chemistry (oh, how she raised an eyebrow at Juvia's strange smile and Lucy's glare). With Natsu's sharp hearing, dog-like nose, and propensity for explosive fire, he was a good partner for Lucy who was sure to keep the doofus in line. Happy can also cover more ground for them in the skies, and can serve as their quick escape if they're ever in trouble.

The second pair was her and Juvia since the water mage practically grabbed for her. Not that she minded, since Hatsune's magic made her highly attuned to their surroundings, and Juvia's flexible magic allowed them to be a deadly combination. Their former partnership was simply the icing on the cake.

And so, the last pair was Jellal and Gray, as he volunteered to be one of the trackers and the latter having no other options at that point. The ice mage also appeared miffed that he couldn't pair up with Juvia. She wasn't exactly sure why at first, but the jealous look he gave her when Juvia jumped for her sold the idea.

Well whatever.

In any case, they'll be moving accordingly around the town perimeters about ten kilometers apart from one another. If complications arise, they'll retreat immediately and rendezvous with the others. They'd modify the plan once they hear more from the client, but as it was, they agreed that this was the best course of action.

Honestly, trust Jellal to be so thorough. She had to wonder why he couldn't just march in and obliterate the monsters. He was powerful enough to blow Earthland to smithereens!

In any case, when Juvia awakes maybe she should ask—

"You have a nice voice."

Hatsune would've jumped, but Juvia leaning on her prevented that. "Oh, thanks?" she whispered to the black-haired mage that was apparently meditating.

He cracked open an eye. "Do you often sing?"

"Yeah, it's kind of a habit," she admitted. "I really love singing though."

"I see."

To say that the silence that followed was awkward was an understatement. Gray had gone silent once more and Hatsune didn't know what else to say. She couldn't just bring up her dream of being the greatest singer in all of Fiore, nor could she ask if he had other habits other than stripping without him knowing. They weren't close enough for that, and she still had to figure how she felt about the aloof teen.

 _Well, it could've gone worse,_ she thought, hoping to doze off instead of dwelling in the awkwardness.

* * *

"I'm finally ou—wha, hey! T-That hurts!"

Hatsune ignored Lucy manhandling a protesting salmon-haired teen and followed the others move out Crocus' train station, with Happy choosing to trail behind as he found the whole thing amusing. To be fair, Natsu brought it on himself when he started to kiss the ground like it was a lost lover and Lucy was trying to spare the rest from any unwarranted attention.

The moment they were at the entrance, Hatsune was promptly greeted with the scent of flowers that adorned the sides of the streets. It wasn't too overpowering nor sweet, and they all blended together to make a relaxing smell to welcome journey-weary people into the Flower Blooming Capital.

The sound mage stretched out a few kinks as they walked down the cobblestone path, skirting past travelers, locals, and mages alike. The town was bustling with life, street vendors hollering and presenting their wares to the public, from rare delicacies and exotic fruits, clothes, to colorful jewelries, the ever-popular intricately weaved garlands and the pumpkin-shaped bobble-heads she vaguely remembered was the mascot of the Grand Magic Games.

Hatsune was thankful that she'd already gotten a handle on her magic. Her brief visit here when she was younger had left her cringing at the volume, and she couldn't appreciate the town as she was busy _fleeing_.

They soon moved away from the elaborate, mosaic flower-patterned buildings with pointed tiled roofs to the more subdued and plainer part of town, stopping in front of a fairly large building and an equally large garage that rented out magic-powered carriages.

Jellal went in first to discuss the price with the owner, and the group hung back quietly.

"Do we really have to ride a vehicle again?!"

They all turned to stare incredulously at Natsu who was desperately trying to pull free from Lucy's death grip. The blonde was red-faced and appeared to be at her wits' end.

"Well, you can't expect Happy to carry you all the way to where we're going," the celestial mage huffed, dragging him to a nearby bench.

"Yeah, sorry Natsu," the Exceed said, though it was less sincere than it sounded thanks to his barely contained laughter.

"But—!"

"Seriously Natsu, you slept through the whole thing earlier anyways!"

Hatsune, Juvia and Gray shared bemused looks.

"Who's driving?" the ponytailed woman asked, choosing to ignore the mages volleying arguments behind her.

Juvia hummed contemplatively. "Well, since Jellal has already paid for the tickets and the carriage, perhaps I shall do it."

Hatsune raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure, Juvi? I personally don't mind."

"I have the bigger reserves between the two of us," she countered.

"I can refill quicker," the sound mage replied.

The rain woman crossed her arms, and—

"I can do it," Gray suddenly said.

They simultaneously whipped their heads towards him for him to awkwardly stare back, and Hatsune felt a little bad about forgetting he was there.

It was Juvia who decided to break the silence. "Ah, you're sure about that Gray?"

He nodded mutely, and Hatsune shrugged. "By all means, go ahead then," she stated with a dismissive wave.

It was at that moment when a frail-looking older man stepped out with Jellal closely trailing behind him. He gave them a small smile and led them to what he called a ten-seater carriage outfitted with iron plates on each side to ensure its sturdiness, and was one of his fastest models (they all ignored the pale Natsu groan at those words).

The tattooed mage circled it keenly, before giving the older man a curt nod. "We'll take it."

Jellal handed over a pouch, and the owner briefly peered into it. "Pleasure doing business with you folks," he then said with a toothy smile.

The trio proceeded to declare the general consensus, and everybody boarded—or in Natsu's case, thrown inside—the carriage, while Gray sat in front.

They moved at a moderately fast pace towards the general direction of Ensata, chatting here and there, and occasionally stopping to switch drivers (with Juvia, as she was adamant to do so) or ask for information on the settlement located a little ways east in the middle of a dense forest. Jellal told them that it was situated near a lake and no doubt, the smell would clue them in when they get close.

All in all, it was mundane.

She knew that it would change when things go wrong somehow later, though she hoped not, but she couldn't help but think that they were on a family outing right now.

They stopped to settle into a dingy inn for the day, their late dinner comprised of surprisingly tasty chicken sandwiches and mushroom soup. Natsu grumbled about more food but shut up thanks to Lucy and Jellal's warning glares. She and Juvia hung back stifling their giggles while Gray remained quiet despite the amusement flashing in his eyes. Happy disregarded the minor squabble as he blissfully chewed on his fish.

Mundane yes, but it left her in high spirits.

Once they finished up, they all clambered up into the second floor into their respective rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. Bar the subdued verbal sparring Juvia and Lucy had decided to start—which Hatsune broke up with a fair warning that she could go report the noise to Jellal—they all went to sleep without issue.

Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Morning came quick, and Hatsune was up bright and early to start her morning routine. She left the room as stealthily as she could in her workout clothes, towel and water bottle in hand, knowing that it'd be around an hour before the rest of the group wakes up.

Hatsune was allowed to practice at the bare patch of land behind the inn just past a small garden with a stern glare from the stoic-looking innkeeper, and she soaked in the fresh air with much gusto.

Putting her hair up in a simple ponytail, she slowly started her vocalization exercises.

She went through each vowel sound, reaching her highest to lowest pitches in smooth shifts before switching to spontaneously crafted melodies. The breeze seemed to accompany her voice, rustling trees and whisking away leaves. If she closed her eyes, Hatsune could almost imagine a string quartet playing in the background, and she standing on a stage.

 _'Controlled, but emotional,'_ her mind chanted.

An inhale, and let notes flow.

It took another minute before Hatsune felt satisfied, and she paused to take a swig of water before moving on to the physical part of her exercises. From standard poses to more complex movements that made her contort her body into strange positions, she fell into a rhythm that matched the random beat in her head. Her heart was drumming against her chest and sweat rolled down her cheeks, and she felt a sense of satisfaction to feel her magic match her body's natural frequency. A healthy, spry body meant she could channel her magic much more efficiently after all.

She sighed softly, and bent backwards into a crab-like pose. "Are you going to join me?"

There was a crunch of dirt, and she glanced at the figure that had hidden itself under a nearby shed's shadow.

"Yes," Juvia answered with a vaguely amused look. She was wearing a fitting dark blue shirt and shorts, and her long, wavy hair was in a tight bun.

She flipped and settled into an upside-down one-handed position, knees folded. "Light spar after?"

"Juvia would like that."

The water mage placed herself a few meters away from Hatsune and began to lightly stretch, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

She felt her muscles creak as slipped out of the lotus position, and she sucked in a deep breath. The orange-haired woman felt content laying there, watching the sun rays peek through the foliage and hearing the forest creatures skitter about.

There was a noncommittal sound, and she sat up and stared at her partner.

"Is everyone still asleep?" the rain woman asked, water bottle in hand.

"Jellal just got up a minute ago," Hatsune responded, and a beat. "Gray's getting up too."

The rain woman threw her a bemused look. "I'm surprised it took that long. Juvia was sure Natsu's snores would've bothered them…"

She then trained an expectant stare at Hatsune, and she felt her mischievous side rise. "Maybe they put a plug on his nose."

To her amusement, her partner snorted, but did little else as she chugged at her drink.

With a sigh, Hatsune stood up and dusted herself off.

"Best two out of three, no magic, lethal blow?" she proposed, and Juvia nodded distractedly while her body phased in and out of transparency. Her limbs turned into water, to solid, and back again in rapid succession, allowing the bottle to slide through and let her juggle it in speeds comparable to a raging stream.

Hatsune silently watched her snap out of her trance with a focused look. "Ready?"

A smirk tugged on the bluenette's lips, and without another word, she threw the empty bottle up.

They both shifted into their preferred stances.

The bottle landed.

And like a well-orchestrated symphony, the first movement played.

It started slow, a ballad of cautious steps and steady familiar prods into each other's defenses, until it crescendos into a whirlwind of jabs and kicks, more aggressive and alive than the last.

Hatsune deflected a punch, and aimed for the bluenette's exposed neck. Juvia dodged at the last second, pivoting with her heel to deliver a kick to her side, forcing her to back away. The water mage was unrelenting at the opening however, assaulting her with a barrage of punches she weaved through with increasing difficulty.

With a grit of her teeth, she ducked under a hit and stepped into her guard, ramming a shoulder into the other woman. The charge knocked Juvia off-balance, and she swiped at the bluenette's feet. The water mage sprung backwards, and adopted a defensive stance.

They circled each other, inviting one to make the first move. Caution dictated that she'd be patient, and luckily she didn't have to wait long.

Juvia lunged for her, and she met her halfway. She lashed out with a kick, and her momentum let it follow it up with a roundhouse kick. Her opponent pirouetted to the side, retaliating with an uppercut that skimmed past her nose.

Juvia smirked, and she returned in kind.

Another jab and this time Hatsune's hand snapped out to grab her arm. Pulling hard, the water mage let out a small yelp, and the ponytailed woman's knee struck. Juvia barely brought her knee out, but the sound mage didn't let it break her hold. She twisted around, yet she felt her opponent spin along, and they continued their dance.

She caught her eyes, and she saw the glimmer of annoyance in them. At that moment, she released her grip, and the bluenette took charge, an elbow skirting past her ears. Hatsune came in low with a kick aimed for her sides—

The two of them leaped back when a figure landed in the middle of the clearing in a burst of magic. Muscles tensed, a spell was on the tip of her tongue when she nearly flopped to the ground.

"Natsu?!"

The pink-haired mage had clearly just roused out of sleep, what with his shirtless state and bedhead that made his spiky hair look like a cow had licked through each strand. There was a cry of disbelief from above, Jellal from the sound of it, but the duo only stared incredulously at him.

He grinned widely, and his arms were engulfed in flames. "I wanna fight you two!"

The declaration elicited a snort from Juvia, and a facepalm from Hatsune.

" _Natsu!_ Get back up here!" Their Oberon yelled from the second floor.

The dragon slayer paled.

* * *

It took a while, but they got Jellal to calm down. He still gave Natsu a stern scolding, and the pink-haired mage received a death glare that promised punishment once they were back at the guild for his rash behavior, but his mood was back up when they went ahead to get breakfast. Hatsune and Juvia on the other hand went back to their room to clean up, and she let the latter go first, since the orange-haired woman knew she'd snipe at their blonde roommate after earlier.

Lucy sat on her chosen bed, drying her hair. The sound mage nodded at her and dug around for her spare clothes in her knapsack. It was a shame that they had to cut their spar short to ease Jellal, but it served well in getting her blood pumped up.

"Nice round," Lucy suddenly said.

She smiled. "It was."

"Do you guys spar often?"

Hatsune shrugged. "We usually did. Nowadays we rarely get the chance."

The celestial mage gave a wide berth at that, and she lowered her hair dryer. "You two were partners before right?"

"We still are," she corrected, throwing the shower door a brief glance. "While Juvia may get busy with your team, I don't mind. I usually go out with either Team Shadow Gear or Levy, and they provide quite the challenge when sparring."

"Oh."

Hatsune gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Lucy. I really don't mind."

Said blonde adopted a contemplative look. "Hm, well… do you—"

She brought a hand up to stop her. "It's you guys' team, and it's balanced as it is. Juvia and I's synergy may disrupt the harmony already established."

There was a reason that official teams require at least five minimum missions under their belt, as to prove that they're able to cooperate and work efficiently. While mages can be invited, it would take time to let the new addition feel natural, and performance issues may arise if one side favored another over the rest. That's why any tag-alongs were usually temporary.

Besides, Hatsune was enjoying getting along with other mages outside her usual circle. It was slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Lucy slowly nodded.

The sound mage threw her one last smile before digging into her knapsack once more and pulling out clothes. Luckily she got herself sorted out when Juvia stepped out of the shower with a content look, and she strode in, not before giving her a warning look.

There was still some steam left when she got settled in, and thank goodness there was enough hot water to massage her body. She honestly would've stayed in longer if her hunger wasn't making itself known. After a few minutes, she got out to see the two rivals doing their usual routine.

"You were getting yourself beat back there, Crybaby."

"Not that it says much when Juvia _beat_ _you_ last time, Poster Girl."

A bark of laughter, and then: " _Beat me?_ Who was it that got smacked by my boot—"

She sighed out loud. "Jellal's waiting for us downstairs."

That got the desired reaction, and both women rushed out. She shook her head in amusement, dressed up and followed them down.

Breakfast went about the same as it did dinner last night, just with the added tirade Lucy had for their fiery companion's stunt, and Happy's comment that they were acting like an old married couple.

The innkeeper looked ready to throw them out.

Thankfully for both parties, the team departed late in the morning, and boarded the carriage with little fuss. Gray was ready to start the engine when a shaggy-haired man came running towards them, arms flailing wildly.

Being the closest one to the door, Lucy tensed as the man slowed down.

"A-are you the m-mages h-heading towards E-Ensata?" he asked between heavy gasps. "Fairy T-Tail?"

The blonde held up the hand where her pink guild mark was placed, everybody else mimicking her example. Hatsu moved her jacket and fishnets to show the gray Fairy Tail sign placed directly above her chest.

"We are. Is something the matter?" Lucy responded warily.

"The mayor… h-he requests you get there quickly, it's u-urgent," he wheezed out.

The team traded worried glances.

"What's going on?" Jellal demanded.

The jittery man paused at the sight of the blue-haired mage and an unidentifiable emotion flashed across his face. "U-uh… it's the monsters. T-there's b-been a b-breach."

There was nothing else to be said. The group moved swiftly with the messenger in tow, an anxious, almost suffocating air around them. Not to mention with how abnormally fast Gray was driving, she felt even sicker, though not like Natsu who was on the cusp of throwing up. As it was, she simply balled her fists, fearing for both the village and what would go down.

Passing by the forest of oak trees, smoke soon became visible and the sound of odd buzzing got Hatsune into high alert.

Once they broke through the greenery, the first thing they noticed was the two storey brick house down the road, surrounded by makeshift wooden barricades and crates. There were about a dozen leather armor-wearing spearmen guarding the place, and a squad of them took cautious steps forward to meet them.

"State your business!"

The messenger hurriedly got off and yelled: "It's me, Ivan! I came to fetch the mages!"

"Ah, Sir!" the squad leader saluted, and the others followed suit.

Ivan showed a wry smile in their general direction before facing the group again. "Fairy Tail, p-please follow me. You can leave the carriage here. We'll take care of it."

Following the jumpy man into the house, they filed into a dimly lit living room with all the curtains closed, the only light source being the candelabra on the coffee table. There was sparse furniture around; two sofas, some drawers and desks, the most notable thing inside was the broken remains of a chandelier pushed aside.

"Sir? I've brought the mages," Ivan said, and all eyes turned in surprise at the man hiding in the shadows.

The mayor was a tall, slender man wearing cargo pants tucked into combat boots and a long sleeved black shirt. He looked rather presentable, but at second glance his unkempt silvery white hair, deep eyebags and restless posture were obvious.

"Thank you Ivan. Please, go assist the others now," he said, and the messenger bowed away. The mayor made a gesture, but stopped himself. "I'd love to say you should make yourselves comfortable, but I'm afraid we don't have enough time."

Everybody tensed at that.

The mayor sighed deeply. "My name is Ryu, the mayor of Ensata, and my request had entailed this to be a simple extermination mission. Unfortunately, things have gotten complicated." His sharp red eyes swept over them. "We initially had decent protection against the monsters, but our defenses have been breached and evacuation has been quite difficult thanks to them."

"How many civilians are left?" Lucy inquired with a scowl, going into full analyst mode.

"Reports say two hundred and about half of them are unaccounted for. My men have been trying to reach whoever's left in there, but they get overwhelmed by dozens of them at once." Ryu paced around the floor uneasily. "We've instead taken to ensuring that these monsters don't escape to terrorize other settlements instead."

Then he—

"You want us to perform rescue and clean-up as well," Gray said, coming to the same conclusion as her, and Hatsune observed the way his eyes seemed to cloud over.

She reflexively tried to reach for his hand to comfort him, but she redirected her touch to his arm. He flinched a bit, but that was all the reaction she got. Hatsu clenched her free hand, eyes downcast.

Fiore as a whole may be a peaceful kingdom, but that didn't mean that it was rid of pain, suffering and conflict. It was prevalent in areas where help may be too far away, where bandits and terrorists may be hiding, where monsters stampeded by, where dark guilds thrived, and so on and so forth. It was why clean-up was always one of those things she disliked doing. It was normally the Magic Council's men in charge of such a task, but in some cases the mages were asked to do so; mostly out of spite, respect or lack of manpower.

This fell into the last category, it seems.

The mayor smiled wearily. "I'm afraid so."

"So we'll go beat them all up instead then! That way the people can be saved faster," Natsu declared, slamming his fist together with a determined expression. Hatsune gave him a small smile. Oh, Natsu…

Lucy shook her head, grabbing him by the shoulder to get his attention. "Natsu… it won't be that easy." At his confused look, she elaborated. "We can't just fight willy-nilly without making sure no innocents are in the way. That and, we have to preserve the town as much as we can."

"Huh?"

"Rival is right. We'll have to find the monster hotspots and act cautiously," Juvia added, and for once—and to Hatsu's interest—Lucy shot her a grateful look. "What kind of monsters are we dealing with?"

The air around the mayor darkened. "We're actually not sure. It's nothing like I've ever seen before. Agile things with horns and bat wings that breathe fire… they're as dangerous as they sound."

That sounded… familiar _._ It'll probably come to her once she sees them.

The dragon slayer deflated, but his determined expression didn't falter. "Yosh, then I just gotta keep my eyes and ears open then!"

"Aye!" his Exceed companion joined in.

The team collectively sobered a bit. Natsu was bullheaded and slightly naïve yes, but he had a good heart.

Ryu appeared pensive. "I suppose that's all… are there any more questions? If not, I'll grab the map of the town to get you started."

"If you don't mind me asking…" Jellal suddenly spoke with a thoughtful expression of his own. "Who or what was providing protection before?"

The mayor blinked. "That'd be me."

"Wait, so you're a mage? Then can't you just continue doing that somehow?" Natsu cut in, scrutinizing the silver-haired man.

The mayor chuckled, but the strain in his voice caused Hatsune to feel bad. He must have been going at it for a while _._ "Unfortunately I'm close to suffering magic exhaustion right now. Doc says I can't do anything or else she'll skin me. Someone had to do it though, and I'm the only mage in town. Mages never stay long here."

"Couldn't you have invested in some protection lacrimas instead? Maybe even some interconnected electricity lacrimas to fence the area?" Lucy asked curiously. She did have a point, they still had other avenues available to them with the Jewels the mayor had.

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Ah, you see… people don't come by here to trade often since trips to Ensata normally take two to three days by foot, and the route is often laden with bandits and other wildlife. We don't have much in the way of transportation, and despite the option of renting a carriage from the capital, there's a high risk of ambushes. We do hire mages from Crocus as escorts, but we're kind of in a low financial slump these days, before all… this.

"Also, those types of lacrimas are pricey and would be hard to maintain without a proper handler here to check for possible imbalanced Ethernano distribution. We're having a hard time focusing on our infrastructure and livestock as it is."

Something suspicious niggled at the back of her mind, but Hatsune remained quiet.

Jellal folded his arms. "I believe this town was recently established yes?"

"Yes, there's only been two generations. My father's and mine." The mayor's eyes became distant. "It took quite a bit before the Queen gave him permission to start the town, and to discuss it with nearby settlements."

"And you trade medicine here right?"

The silver-haired man broke out of his trance for a smile. "Yes, my fiancé is a doctor, and she has two apprentices here to help."

Jellal nodded, seemingly pleased at his answer.

Maybe she was overreacting because the nerves were getting to her… whatever the case she'll have to push this in the backburner for now. "Alright then, Ryu, we'd like to see the map now."

At that the mayor disappeared into another room, and soon the battle would begin.


	3. Surprises

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairy Tail as it's owned by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

Surprises

* * *

It was utterly nerve-wracking.

She and Juvia moved quickly through the dilapidated town; smoke billowing from still burning houses that Juvia quickly doused, debris and wood scattered all over, and dust and the stench of death hung in the air. There were occasional tremors as they neared the western edge of the town, and Hatsune forcefully calmed herself down while she tried to find any signs of life. They'd sometimes stop to check out a building or two, but it turned up empty.

She wasn't sure if she could call that a good thing or a bad thing.

The plan was generally the same: fan out in pairs and destroy the targets, with the added 'if innocent sighted, direct to evacuation site. Protect if monsters are near'. If anything happened, regroup at the street the mayor's house was at. Hatsune patted her pocket, where she hid the signal flare the mayor handed out earlier.

This was to be used in extremely dangerous circumstances, he said, worst case scenario was if they were cornered or if an unknown showed up. This would mean that all of them would gather around the source for possible rescue, if not, they were forced to ask for backup via the communication lacrima Jellal was given by the Master.

The sound mage prayed it wouldn't come to that.

"—tsu?"

The ponytailed woman nearly stumbled once she blinked back to reality. She really had to stop thinking too much right now. "Yes?"

"Juvia spots two to the right, three to the left and six on our front. They're gathered around a building. Do you hear more?"

Hatsune closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the many disturbances in the wind and earth within a five kilometer radius. "… There's about four more on our left, three on the right and two behind us. And… three civilians inside the building they're surrounding."

The bluenette's expression tightened.

They entered another street, and they finally saw the monsters in all their glory.

It all clicked.

Fury, four-legged lion-like creatures with bat-like wings sprouting behind their backs and wicked sharp horns; the _chimeras_ were growling in what she assumed to be anger and hunger. Most of them were congregating in front of a two-storey house, pawing continuously in hopes of getting their next meal.

 _'Why in the hell are these things here?!'_ A small part of her quivered in fear, she wanted to run and never look back.

Hatsune's sharp ears then picked up on the fearful cries of the children inside, and she squashed the feeling down immediately.

"North and West are mine. Don't let them get close to you, if you do, dish out damage quick. They have sharp claws and their wings are not only sharp, it can grant them limited flight so they're flexible than any average beast," she gruffly said, backing into Juvia who digested the information.

"Have you ever encountered these things before?" She simply nodded, not trusting her voice to not waver.

Hatsune raised her hand, and with a burst of magic, she snapped her fingers. A loud _crack_ and a light shockwave had drawn the attention of the creatures.

"Must you use that move?" she heard the water mage grumble, a touch of nostalgic amusement in her tone. "Juvia's ears are ringing…"

"Shut up and focus—"

Before she could say anything else, Hatsune leapt out of the way.

Five chimeras were waiting for her on the ground, and before she could properly re-orient herself, one of them lunged for her. Gritting her teeth, she arched backwards midair and the creature sailed past her. Once she landed, she swiveled and kicked, knocking away one that was trying to sneak up on her. A roar to the side, and Hatsune spoke instantly.

 _" **Amplify: Five Hundred Decibels**!"_

Her voice drowned out the chimera, and its own fire-charged attack blasted it to ashes from the intensity despite its tolerance to the element. She had no time to dwell on her small victory when two more took its place, eyeing her like roadkill. She frowned, ducking under a swipe and thrusting her hand out. With one swift, familiar motion, she broke its neck. Holding tightly, Hatsune threw it to the two she turned her back to. One of them avoided it and pounced, and Hatsune hastily sidestepped and slashed her hand.

 _" **Sound Cutter: Adagio**!"_

The chimera flew by in two pieces. ' _Nine more...'_

The sound mage danced back as each of them seemed more aggravated by the loss, and for a second, Hatsu allowed herself a glance at her partner.

Juvia was, for lack of a better word, destroying them. Whirling water spheres and waves at the beasts, the liquid isolated in a five meter radius to avoid more collateral damage, the bluenette was the picture of a tornado; calm in the inside but deadly to everything around her. The illusion broke however, when she saw the frustrated gleam in her dark blue eyes.

She instinctively struck its skull with her palm, watching the chimera's eyes widen as it fell lifelessly. Hatsune spun, grabbing a horn and tearing the head off another one.

 _'Seven left... wait.'_ The sound mage clicked her tongue when she felt more approaching. "Juvia, five incoming all around and one's larger than the rest!" she hollered whilst battering an elbow against the monster's back.

Water bullets were fired. "Grab the children! Juvia's not sure we can keep this up."

They had to make this quick then. Hatsune flipped backwards, landing on the head of one—making sure to rattle its skull with the vibrations of her foot—before launching herself upwards.

Extending her hands, she calmly intoned: _" **Soundwave Clap**."_

A thunderous _boom_ resounded in the air, and the wind smashed her remaining targets into the ground enough to make a crater and fine paste out of them. She nullified it the instant it traveled past her intended area and the pony-tailed woman touched down gracefully, kicking off towards the brick structure. She broke through the window, seeing as the front door was welded shut and disfigured from the beasts, and clambered up to the one of the rooms on the second floor where the sobs were loudest.

Catching her breath for a split second, Hatsune knocked on the door. "Hey there, we're here to rescue you."

There was silence… and then the frantic clattering of wood, the swish of cloth and scurrying feet. "How a-are we s-s-sure you're not a b-bandit?!" a young, female voice yelled.

"I'm not here to hurt you and your friends. I'm a mage from Fairy Tail," Hatsune replied as reassuringly as she could.

There was some more noise from inside, and the sound mage fretfully waited, ignoring the urge to barge in and just grab them. Outside, Juvia was going to be boxed in—

"P-P-Prove it!" a male voice demanded, noticeably older and more terrified than the other kid.

She sighed internally. "Kids, I'm here on the mayor's orders to get you out to the evacuation site, somewhere _safe._ The creatures are coming, and we need to go. I'll show you my guild mark as proof."

"Is m-mommy where she says she'll t-take us?" a child, perhaps around four or five years old, asked her companions in a hopeful tone.

"Shush, Aila!" the female sharply said.

"But—"

"Not now please."

Hatsune felt for the kid. Being this young and not knowing where her parents were… on top of that, she was in the middle of a warzone. She'd understandably be horrified. "My friend and I can take you to the evacuation site fast. We have to hurry though."

There was the muffled sound of crying, and the sound mage breathed in deeply. She didn't want to leave them here, and she was hella worried for her partner. Juvia was now fighting off fifty of them and one was… that was an _Alpha Chimera_! Those things could melt your skin with their unusual acid breath if you weren't careful, Mavis, she saw it once, and the nightmares that followed that particular day weren't nice.

Ah, why did she only remember that now?!

Hatsune forced down a breath. No… she had to believe Juvia will be fine.

Another noise; light footsteps then the sound of the doorknob being turned slowly. "Do anything funny and I will end you," the older kid snarled.

"I won't, trust me."

The door creaked open, revealing a narrowed bright green eye, auburn hair, and the sharp end of a stick pointed at her. "The mark," he ordered, raising his weapon menacingly.

She quietly complied, showing off the gray mark on her chest. The boy froze, unbelieving, until something shoved him away. She cocked her head at the little girl by her feet.

"Aila!"

The little girl named Aila peered up at her through her messy bangs. "You have a weird aura."

"Thank you?" she responded slowly, observing the way the brunette's pupils seemed to _glow_.

"Aila, don't just go off on your own like that!" the other girl with messily braided violet hair hissed, dragging the smaller child by the collar, before turning to her. "I'm so sorry Miss. And thank you for saving us as well."

"It's okay. Also, don't thank me yet," she said, adopting a serious look once more. She detected two at the back of the building. Tsk, they needed to run. She surveyed the three kids, taking in their appearances. "You—"

"Devon," the boy huffed, his crafted weapon strapped to his belt.

"—and Aila, was it?" The girl in question looked at her curiously. "You two stick together. Devon will carry you on his back while we run, is that alright?" They both nodded. "I'll be carrying…"

"Yvon," she supplied.

"After we get out the building, I'll carry you. My partner is outside fighting them off right now, so we'll be heading towards the back. I want you three to stick close. Devon, I trust you to keep a close eye out. We might need that makeshift spear of yours." The kid gave her a strange look which she paid no attention to thanks to the audible struggle ensuing between Juvia and the Alpha. "Let's go kids. _Stay close._ "

Hatsune ignored the thrumming of her heartbeat against her ears. She couldn't afford any distractions and worrying on the others behalf was not an option. ' _They will be fine,'_ she reminded herself.

Straining her senses, she moved towards the fire exit. Judging from the chimeras' positions she could take them out quickly at just the right angle.

"Kids," she called out quietly. "Wait here a bit. When I whistle this tune—"

A three note melody resonated in the desolate hall, and she knew that nearest beast had turned its attention their way.

"And then you guys can come out, okay?" She didn't wait for a response since she jumped out the broken window.

 _" **Sound Cutter: Moderato**!"_

The attack sliced through the two chimeras, and her eyes darted to and fro from her perch atop a bent streetlight. No signs of other stragglers. She whistled, waiting for the kids to shuffle down the ladder. For some reason, all three were gazing at her like she had grown another head. Hatsune would've asked if there was something on her face, but she had other priorities in mind.

"Wait over by that house over there. I just need to help out my friend. When we get back, get ready to run. Don't come out until I whistle."

Hatsune shooed them despite their protests, making sure they were settled inside, and dashed off.

The temperature was insufferable when she got close; finding humid winds clashing, accompanied by the sound of sizzling flesh. Juvia was in the midst of trying to overpower the Alpha with a huge wave, a water barrier around them to prevent any sneak attacks from the remaining dozen of enemies. To anyone else, it'd appear as if she was going to win but the sweat rolling down the sides of her face, the pained grimace and the bright red burns on her now visible arms were red flags.

Hatsune rushed towards the nearest chimera, dead set on getting her out. "Juvia! Keep at it for thirty more seconds and I'll make us a path. When I signal you, get out of the barrier!" the sound mage roared with a touch of her magic.

Given a stiff nod affirming she was heard, Hatsune shifted her stance, slammed one annoying beast into the ground and snapped her fingers.

 _" **Sonic Breaker**!"_

Her desperate move cost her ears to _pop_ , as she neglected to nullify sound around her in favor of propelling the targets away in a dazed state. She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to forget the pain and the buzz in her head, barely dodging a chimera horn that nicked her cheek. She rammed her knee into the creature and followed it up with an axe kick.

Hatsune staggered backwards, whistling a shaky two note tune.

Juvia broke out of their stalemate with a hastily made **_Water Slicer_** and dove out of the bubble, instantly collapsing it. The duo frantically ran, Hatsune leading by a step, and she whistled again—hoping that her mistake didn't affect her ability.

A head poked out of the house and she waved at them. Devon was briefly confused before realization flitted in his eyes, and all three children were out. The group didn't have enough time, so Hatsune shouldered her charge like a sack of potatoes and continued running. She distantly registered Yvon's complaints, but she focused on running instead on the many enemies trailing behind them.

 _'We're halfway from the evac point where Ivan's waiting. We have a dozen behind us and the Alpha's calling out for more.'_ Hatsune wracked her mind for the many routes Jellal had drilled into them to take if need be, and only one was possible right now. With Juvia injured and two children being ushered along by the bluenette, to say she was nervous was an understatement.

"Juvia, take Yvon and go for Route F. I'll meet you by the mayor's house," she let her voice carry to her partner, the hitch of her breath indicating an immediate retort.

"Hatsune, let Juvia do—"

"These children need to get to safety. Out of the two of us, you can get there faster even with your injuries," she reasoned.

They wove through more streets and the beasts were getting closer. A breath attack dangerously whizzed by their heads, and it pressed them into taking another road.

"… Fine. See you later, Hatsu," the water mage muttered softly, and for that she allowed a break in her mask.

"Don't worry Juvi, I won't be long." Hatsune adjusted her hold on the girl holding her jacket's hoodie in a death grip, whispering to her ear: "Sorry for this."

The purple-haired child shot her a confused stare before she was flung sky-high, a terrified scream erupting from her lips, to Juvia who had turned half of herself into a mini-tsunami. She caught the girl with a small burst of water and dragged the kids off into another direction. The pack of chimeras were about to separate and chase after them, but she would not have that.

Not on her watch.

 _" **Amplify: Two Thousand Decibels**!"_

Half of the targets slammed into the buildings and left large dents in their wake, which she cared less about at this point, and the rest— _eight, no, ten now—_ including the Alpha enclosed her. A snap of her fingers and constant stream of spells left her mouth, mindful of her magic reserves.

A sudden prickle at the back of her neck clued her in a second too late.

She spun, feeling the searing hot pain travel down her hip to her leg, and without thinking she spoke: _" **Sound Cutter: Allegro**!"_

The chimera's head was cleanly cut off, and the small hut just near it buckled at the attack. _Run now,_ her subconscious screeched.

Run she did.

It felt like forever before she got the pack off her back, moving in and out of alleyways and scooting through passageways made available by the wreckage. Her left leg slowed her down, blood staining her pants and leaving trails, so out of necessity she ripped off the bottom half to create a makeshift bandage. Hatsune thought she could have done better earlier so as to avoid this outcome, but she was just grateful that she could sense that Juvia and rest were safe.

She limped her way back to the mayor's house, slightly annoyed but thankful that it was far away from the mess, and arrived at the street. Her shuffling on the road gained the attention of a guard.

"Miss! Mage, right?"

"Yes."

The tall guard called out to someone, and Hatsu just wanted to sit down for a moment. The blood loss was making her woozy, the headache and the constant buzzing of her ears because of her own attack was growing and it was blistering _hot_.

She flinched when someone touched her hand, and the sound mage looked to see a petite, brunette woman with honey-colored eyes. "It's okay, I'm the doctor. May I check your wounds, Miss..?"

"Hatsune," she answered, resisting the urge to drop.

"Ok, Hatsune," she parroted with a kind smile. The doctor led her to the steps of a nearby house, and let her sit down. The world stopped spinning for a bit. "I'm Mica by the way. Hm… I'll be removing the bandages now."

The ponytailed woman didn't move, though she did hear the shaky intake of breath the doctor took. While morbidly curious, the desire to rest and instead focus on at least fixing her nearly shattered eardrums won. Hatsune closed her eyes, feeling for the Ethernano in the air. Ethernano was present everywhere, it was the lifeblood of magic in Earthland. As such the air was rich with it, pulsating in ways that made her core tingle whenever she let it consciously wash over her.

She had learned this when mastering her magic, since Sound worked as vibrations and distortions in the air. With a small pull, she started gathering more of it into her body.

Hatsune recoiled when she felt coldness around her leg. "Ah, sorry! Uhm, bear with me please," the doctor squeaked as she applied a healing salve. With no other distractions (her reserves filling up and ear mending in turn), she watched the woman in mute fascination, her burns sizzling into pink marks. They still felt raw, but it was doable.

"That medicine is quite powerful," she blurted out.

The brunette threw her a lopsided smile. "Ah, this was a gift to me."

There was a long story to it, that much was obvious, so Hatsune backed off in respect. "Oh."

The doctor fished out a clean set of bandages from her fanny pack and wrapped her leg swiftly, face scrunched up in concentration. "What's the situation?" she questioned.

"Not… exactly good," she replied reluctantly. "There were a lot more than what we expected."

Mica sighed. "I suspected as much. With Ryu out of commission… the townspeople are nervous. It had been much easier to manage when those things didn't just come out of the woodwork."

"If you don't mind me asking, what _is_ Ryu's magic?"

"Oh, he didn't tell, huh? Haha, figures." There was a certain fondness in her tone, one reserved for close companions. "He's a Wind Mage, he mostly uses it defensively. Since the initial attack a month ago, he's been actively fending the beasts off with a few of the volunteers."

There it was again. ' _Something isn't adding up,'_ her mind whispered, and Hatsune put it off for deliberation later. "That explains a lot."

She snorted. "You tell me girl. That man can be too stubborn for his own good." Mica put some tape over the end of the gauze and critically looked over her work. "I don't recommend you start running any time soon, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You're gonna feel a bit stiff and some pain here and there thanks to the still healing muscles and nerves. Oh and—"

Cotton dabbed at her cheek, and she didn't even have time to register the pain when the doctor slapped a strip of bandage on her. And like a wisp, she felt a touch of magic tingle by her ear, and she blinked at her now normal hearing.

"There, you're good to go."

Hatsune held back on a question of this woman's scarily astute speed before slowly standing up, a bit wobbly. A small spike of pain ran up her leg when she put her weight on it, but she could take it. "Thank you, Mica."

"It's no problem, really. Just doing my job," she waved off with that good-natured voice, airy and light. "I should—"

" _Hatsu_!"

That was all the warning she got when a blue blur grabbed her by the shoulders and she got a face full of worried deep blue eyes. "Are you okay? Juvia rushed back here as fast as she could, the kids are with one of Ivan's men, Juvia was so scared of—"

"Juvi," she called out, and the blue haired mage clammed up. "I am fine."

Her eyes drifted to her bandaged leg, and Juvia searched her face. _Are you sure?_

At her lessened grip, Hatsune flicked the water mage's forehead. She spluttered dramatically _,_ stepping away to rub it _._ "You worry too much. You should get your arms checked by the doctor."

"Hey, don't—"

"You should sit down for a bit first, Miss Juvia. You look pale," Mica offered, hiding the beginnings of a smile on her face.

Juvia shot Hatsune a begrudging look before she plopped down on the steps, the doctor fussing over her arms. Up close, her burns were not as bad as Hatsune's, which was relieving.

"Nothing from the others yet?" the water mage asked, face twitching once in a while at the cool touch of the medicine.

"No." Hatsune leaned back on the railing of the house. "Do you think something happened to them?"

"It can't be worse than us." At the raised eyebrow, Juvia chuckled. " _Maybe_ it could be. Natsu can be quite the handful."

"Do you think Lucy's got him under control?"

"And when does Rival doesn't have him under control?"

She smirked, catching the mischievous undertone. "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, Juvia thinks of nothing in particular, really. Why?" The bluenette gave her an innocent look, tilting her head to the side for full effect.

"I don't know… maybe you could tell me?" she challenged. Hatsune knew she was insinuating that Lucy had the salmon-haired teen wrapped around her finger, and she had to agree, it was kind of adorable seeing how dense they were. It almost echoed how Gray was with Juvia… should she bring it up? Maybe she could find out how she felt about him.

"Hmm… Juvia isn't sure what you want to know."

She gave Juvia a dull look that said _'Seriously?'_

"Well I think that you… you…" she trailed off, knowing that Juvia can and will make the conversation go around in circles if she wanted to. She straightened her face, not willing to show her bitterness. "Whatever. Let's rest for a few more minutes before heading out again."

She decided to put off her line of questioning, pouting all the while. She ought to get her head back in the game. The light-hearted banter and pseudo-interrogation can wait until they can glean the overall status of the mission.

The sound mage ignored the triumphant gleam in the blue-haired woman's eyes and cracked her knuckles. She'll get her revenge another time. Her senses scoured the perimeter for any hints of the chimeras, just a little over four kilometers as an extra precaution.

' _There's none in this area, so if my hunches are correct, the source of these things must be somewhere farther east.'_

"Alright, I'm done," the doctor declared, and she stuffed her supplies into her pack. Juvia experimentally flexed her muscles, nodding at the tightness of the wrappings. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. I'm going back to the evacuation site."

"Alone?" Juvia stared at her in confusion.

Mica grinned. "Yeah, don't worry about me. I have more tricks up my sleeve. Who do you think kept that reckless idiot of a mayor in line?"

" _I heard that_!" A familiar voice yelled from the building adjacent to them.

"Oops, gotta go. Be careful you two, and hopefully your other friends stay safe as well!" The doctor then scampered off, the end of her beige coat flapping wildly. There was some stomping down the side of the road, and a flustered Ryu came into view.

"Mica!"

The guards around them looked confused.

"Heya Ryu!" she crowed, leaving a dust cloud in her haste to change direction. "See ya, Ryu!"

"Wha—hey _wait_!"

The duo would've sweat-dropped at the spectacle when Hatsune's head snapped to the sky. "… Jellal and Gray are on their way back here."

"What?" Juvia hurriedly stood up, eyebrows drawn together "Any ideas why?"

"They aren't being chased and they're not injured either." How odd. Those two were extremely strong, they wouldn't have too much trouble against the chimeras or rescue efforts, so what could have caused them to head back?

"Do we wait then?"

"… Let me check." There was some interference due to the distance, but she could hear snippets of their hushed conversation. Jellal was saying something about a confrontation? Mysterious people… in search for someone… signal… retreat. The ponytailed woman relayed the information and pushed herself off the rails. "Can you boost me to the roof, Juvia?"

Simply heaving a sigh, the water mage summoned a puddle and motioned for her to hurry up. Rolling her eyes, she stepped in and felt herself being lifted up. She was carefully placed on top of the shingles, but she nearly slipped when she unconsciously used her left leg as balance. Correcting herself, Hatsune shot her partner a grateful look, especially when she noticed a sliver of water still hanging on.

Emerald green eyes swept over the area, senses extended beyond what she could see. The distant roar of another Alpha Chimera to the north, the clatter of debris from unbalanced houses, the heavy footsteps from her teammates from a little ways northwest, and Mica heading over to the evacuation site to the southeast. She'd have probably spent more time being impressed at the way the woman weaved seamlessly through the streets without pause, but she had things to do.

… She'd been spending a lot of time reminding herself that. Was it because of nerves? Worry? She wasn't normally one for those.

Or was it the feeling of foreboding in the background she was trying so hard to steer clear of?

 _'Tch, focus Angelbeat.'_

After a long drawn breath, Hatsune placed two fingers by her lips and whistled loudly than before, controlling the waves so that it carried over to the right people. Messing with her bangs, the sound mage minded the way the air shifted slightly.

' _Probability of rain… moderate.'_

As much as she wasn't a fan of rain, the weather would be helpful in fighting against the monsters' fire attacks, not to mention the plethora of sounds to come about with it. Of course, the rain would cause some of the flimsier houses to finally cave in and it'd be harder to distinguish noise but better to think of the pros than the cons.

She briefly wondered about these _'mysterious figures'_ in the vicinity, unable to see any signs of them yet. Jellal would fill them in on the rest, but it was mind-boggling to think that a simple extermination mission was becoming more complicated by the minute.

"Catch me," she finally sighed out, dropping down the ledge without preamble. Water once again enveloped her by the waist, and she was met by a half-amused, half-annoyed Juvia. Thankfully, she did not launch into her usual tirade of 'heart-attack inducing actions' and instead shifted in place. Hatsune sat back down on the cobblestone steps, not wanting to accidentally pull a muscle.

They didn't have to wait long when two figures emerged from the shadows of the houses. Both of them stared incredulously at an irate Jellal and a stoic Gray, although the latter's clenched jaw and tensed shoulder's betrayed the image of nonchalance.

The guards behind them rightfully backed away, just as their Oberon marched to them, face flushed and eyes hardened.

"What happened?" Juvia asked.

Jellal stopped in front of Hatsune, ignoring her partner's concerned stare. "Did the message reach them?"

"I believe so," she curtly said, noting the singed edges of his cloak and the rips he discreetly hid beneath, clearly not made by claws. "Who are we dealing with?"

"We encountered three cloaked figures and briefly fought, but they fled before we had a chance to stop them. They didn't say what their exact agenda was either," he released an exhausted sigh before eyeing the two of them. "How many did you encounter?"

"Roughly a hundred, maybe more," Juvia replied snippily. "Don't change the subject Jellal. Who are they after?"

The tattooed mage's expression soured. "You heard that, huh?"

The sound mage shrugged while Juvia was giving him an expectant look.

"They didn't elaborate, only let slip that they were female," Gray announced from behind Juvia, earning him a choked sound of surprise from her. Hatsune swore he gained a smirk at that but it quickly disappeared as he began ruffling his hair in an aggravated manner. "We do think that they may be the source of the beasts though."

"How?" she and Juvia simultaneously demanded, making him reflexively back away.

"One of the figures had a magic circle drawn on the back of their hand, and it glowed when the creatures started surrounding us all of a sudden. We figure it could be a Lost Magic," Jellal supplied, and the pony-tailed woman's mind was sent into overdrive.

Chimeras were one of the most uncommon beasts, and their origins were debatable—few claimed they crawled from the depths of hell, others say they're twisted animals that could be resurrected and controlled at a cost. All who knew of existence stayed clear of them, not only for their fire-based attacks, but also because of their uncanny intellect. From others accounts, they could communicate with one another and had an established hierarchy, as exhibited by the Alphas, and a chimera can adjust itself against its opponent if battle is drawn out. Dark mages had once utilized them in the war against the dragons centuries ago, but any other information regarding them was scarce. The Magic Council had sought out and destroyed any data on it, as per the law and continental security.

It was only thanks to a mission long ago that involved a dark mage that she had this much knowledge in the first place. To think that someone had actively used them here for suspicious agendas, Mavis, this could be considered an S-class mission right now.

"They're most likely part of a dark guild… I doubt any normal mage would have access to such dangerous magic," Jellal thought out loud.

"Well, not many people know chimeras are real, and most information on whatever rituals must be done to summon them was wiped by the Magic Council. They must have obtained it through illegal means," Hatsune stated. "So you might be right in assuming they're from a dark guild."

The two males openly gaped at her in disbelief, while Juvia appeared curious.

"You called those things _chimeras_. You know of them?" The ice mage's eyes narrowed down to small slits. "How come you didn't you say anything if you knew what they were?"

"I only remembered when we fought them earlier," she said, affronted at the suspicion in his voice. "Besides, it's been years since I encountered these things."

"Yes, Juvia can confirm that. No need to be suspicious of Hatsu." Her partner sidled over to her protectively. She felt touched at the act.

"Chimeras…" the tattooed mage looked as if he swallowed a lemon. "This is the first I've heard of them."

"There's little to no information on them since it is carefully hidden from the general public."

Gray gave her a thoughtful look. "They're editing history, aren't they?"

She shot him a long, meaningful stare, and then answered. "Understandable, I suppose. If it were given a rating, it would rank up to an SS-class secret. It's _that_ dangerous."

The blue-haired teen's shoulders sagged. "So I suppose that it is a Lost Magic… we need to keep an even closer eye out for those three, if that's the case. Anything else you can tell us about these chimeras?"

Hatsune folded her arms, wracking her mind for more information. "Well… the one with the magic circle on their hand's definitely controlling them all. However, to achieve this level of control and to have that many chimeras at their beck and call? They must have paid a heavy price. Most stories that I've come across usually involved the summoner losing a part or parts of their body, their lifespan cut in half, or they have a very weak constitution thanks to a blood ritual."

"So if we find which one they did…" Juvia mumbled, but Hatsune quickly held up a hand for her to stop.

"Even if we do find that out, that isn't the key factor in getting rid of the chimeras. The circle is simply a medium," the ponytailed girl paused, swallowing thickly. No, she couldn't hesitate _._ "What we need to do is sever their bond."

"Bond?" the ice mage repeated, only to stiffen. "Wait, you mean…"

"This thing is permanently tied to the mage's magical core. _That_ is what makes it so potent. If we don't destroy the core and just let the mage be..." Her expression became hooded. "… Things go to hell. A quick blow is a mercy for them."

Juvia's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and while Jellal didn't outwardly show it, she saw him tense and he let out a low sigh that conveyed his perturbed mood. Gray looked away, jaw clenched so tight she heard his teeth grinding.

She only smiled sadly. They needed to understand the magnitude of the situation, and as much as she prayed to the gods, she too had to face reality.

Assassination missions were unusual but not unheard of in mercenary guilds, since they were the in-between of the 'dark' and 'light' guilds, apart from the unofficial ones. Sure, the practice was frowned upon in the magical community, but the Council tolerated them since they commissioned the mages to deal with their shady business.

She didn't mind it before, and it only mildly bothered her now, but for her guildmates… Gray seemed like he had experience with this due to his reaction, but the others?

"I'm sorry. There's no other way."

 _I tried before_ , went unsaid.

She understood if they felt disgusted by the mere thought of _killing._ Fairy Tail was a light guild after all, mages who had taken a vow to use magic for _good,_ whose very auras were filled with nothing distorted. If they left the dirty work to her then so be it.

Hatsune blinked a few times when she felt an arm wrap around her, warmth nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

"It'll be okay, Hatsu. We… we understand," Juvia whispered in her ear. "I don't like this but, we'll figure something out."

Hatsu finally released the tension she didn't know was harboring, and she awkwardly returned the hug. The girl didn't need to do this…

But it felt nice.

"Hatsune…" Jellal sounded unsure, but the pain and sheer vulnerability that flashed in his eyes told her that he also understood. It came as a mild shock, but then she reminded herself that he too, had skeletons in the closet. "This… won't be easy, but we'll get through this together."

There was a weight on her head, and to her surprise, Gray was ruffling her hair. "You… you've got us."

She would've sent him an appreciative smile but the teen was pointedly looking in every direction apart from hers, awkwardness evident at the way his hand sat too softly on her head, as if he was afraid to establish contact. Instead she grunted out a thank you, extremely grateful for… for her family's understanding.

Jellal's heavy sigh grabbed their attention. "I should go talk to the mayor about this. You guys should rest up while you can and wait for Lucy and Natsu to get back."

"Should I talk to Master?" Gray removed his hand, and the sound mage felt a bit sad at that. His hand was strangely warm for a person so cold.

The tattooed mage bit his lip. "… Here." He produced a lacrima from his cloak and threw it at Gray, who easily caught it. "Tell him our suspicions and that we'll need more people here if we don't get back past the allotted week. Oh, and Gray? Your clothes."

The ice mage squawked indignantly, searching for his discarded coat. The others laughed at his mortified expression—Hatsune still a bit annoyed at less-than-desirable stripper habits—and Jellal shook his head with a chuckle before jogging off.

Well, he would have.

The _whoosh_ in the air rang the alarm bells in her head, and before she could warn anyone, an explosion rang out. The abandoned house next to them burst into flames, sending billows of dust around them.

"No!" she heard Juvia yell out, and her running into the haze.

There were hurried barks of orders, and—

 _"I was looking for someone else, but you…yes, you're also valuable."_

A sharp pain hit her, and then all she knew was darkness.


	4. Captive

**WARNING:** Mildly disturbing imagery.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairy Tail as it's owned by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

Captive

* * *

 _It had to just be a nightmare._

 _Too many… there was too many._

 _She had just put the guy down, cut off the hand with the mark, and he was ready to be taken to jail. Almost hurriedly she'd lugged him back to town so she could get her reward and finally be done for the day. She was tired of putting up with all the weird shit she had to face because of him, all those secrets she had to stash now and the stories she'd have to alter if her guildmates decided to ask…_

 _Then he started wailing._

 _He cradled his arm as his mouth started frothing, saliva and blood intermingling with the tears from his wide, dilated eyes, and he curled up into a shivering ball. The man who she deemed a threat suddenly looked so small, but she there was not enough time to dwell on it._

 _His core pulsed, nearly knocking her off of her feet, and as she struggled to regain her bearings, she saw it. His body contorted into angles impossible for the human body to do, tears in his flesh and bones cracking—_

 _Those things came from everywhere, decimating everything in sight._

 _They cried._

 _He screamed._

 _She had no choice._

Hatsune blearily opened her eyes, squinting hard at the black spots that dotted her vision. Her head was pounding, and all she could hear was the sound of her rapidly beating heart.

She exhaled shakily.

It was just a nightmare, and she reluctantly suppressed any emotions that came from it to the very dark recesses of her mind.

Once she was able to focus, she started to analyze her surroundings. She was on her back facing the ceiling of what seemed to be an old prison, with cobwebs and tiny pebbles lining the corners. There wasn't a window in sight, leaving her boxed in with only one way out. There was a dimly lit lantern atop a desk outside, her only light source, and it made the shadows around her dance and play tricks on her eyes.

If she was weaker-minded, the psychological attack might have worked.

She instead sniffed, dry sinuses itching at the smell. The air was different here; earthy—underground, most likely—and tinged with dust.

She shifted slightly, and she frowned at her bound arms. Her magic felt sluggish and muted, so she figured that they'd slapped on magic-suppressing cuffs on her.

Not that she could do anything right now, her limbs felt like lead, and moving even an inch would send bolts of pain in her muscles. She could tell that her leg suffered most damage, and Hatsune had to bite down on her lip to prevent herself from crying out. She breathed in sharply, hoping her headache would abate soon. It was tolerable, but it was hard to stay awake.

Despite it all, she felt grudging respect for her captors. ' _Clever,'_ she thought. ' _Beating me up so I'm helpless…'_

She hoped that the others had only taken minor injuries, especially Jellal.

And that brought her to the crux of the matter. She had gotten knocked out so easily and was taken for some reason.

Whoever had taken her didn't make a single sound. Either they're extremely good at sneaking up on people, or that's their magic. Perhaps it was one of the men Jellal and Gray encountered earlier, but that brought the question: why her?

While she had a few ideas—

"So, you're up."

Hatsune couldn't move her neck properly, stiff as it was, so she settled for a sidelong glance. All she got view of was worn-out boots and grey cargo pants outside her cell.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, wincing at her scratchy throat.

The man only chuckled.

"What do you want?" she gritted out, feeling somewhat off put by the easygoing laughter, like nothing was wrong with the world.

"I dunno, depends on my mood. On weekends I have this huge craving for sweets or chips, while on the weekdays I wanna let loose. Oh, but don't tell Darven, he'll never stop nagging me," he replied cheekily.

 _'Smartass,'_ her mind instantly labeled. She didn't want any mind games at this point. She was much too tired, stressed about being separated, and had a head she wanted to bang into the wall. Hatsune gave him a pointed look, at least tried, since all she could do was direct it at his chest area.

"Well, nice to meet ya too, sunshine."

"… Who are you?"

A shadow descended in front of her, and she jumped a little at the lingering palm in front of her face. She didn't even see him move!

"Well missy, I'm just a guy hired by this one individual with their own agendas. I gotta say though… " The hand was retracted, and she was greeted by curious golden eyes and messy red hair. "You're surprisingly calm for someone who's kidnapped. Hm, makes sense, you _were_ a mercenary."

She raised an eyebrow, thoughts racing a mile per minute.

He was young and good-looking, and with the idiotic grin he sported he may have passed for some unassuming fool. He had the posture of one too, slightly hunched over and with an aura of nonchalance, plus his casual greeting to her could have hammered that fact down. However, underneath his shabby black cloak were daggers attached to his belt and the clink of coins in a pouch, and the tell-tale fading smell of gunpowder.

"I guess your employer must be someone who wants me thanks to my reputation, to kill or torture me, or maybe even sell me."

The redhead leaned back, thankfully still visible from her peripherals, and shrugged. "I dunno, they never really told me much."

 _'He's been careful in not mentioning his employer's gender and he didn't refute the statement. He may not actually know or he may be confusing me...'_ Hatsu had to play his game carefully. "They did tell you to watch me when I wake up."

He shrugged again, placing his hands behind his head.

"If they didn't, why did they even bother cuffing me and have you down here just as I become conscious? They must be familiar with me, if that's the case."

"Can't it be because I enjoy the view?" he drawled.

"If I was going to be sold off, then I shouldn't be here alone," she continued. It was far too quiet. "Inventory," she said, feeling a wave of disgust at the words. "Should be all accounted for."

He shot her an amused look. "Well, aren't you knowledgeable?"

 _'This guy is good,'_ she internally mused. "Even if the illegal trade route in Hargeon was destroyed, I doubt Bosco is _that_ desperate for new women."

The redhead crossed his arms, adopting a mildly bemused expression.

"In any case, your employer doesn't want me dead yet."

The highest possibility now was torture, next to blackmail and death, and she smoothed out her face to prevent her grim mood from showing.

Her captor eyed her, interest and something else glinting in his eyes. "Do you want to be killed?" His tone revealed a thinly veiled killing intent, yet at the same time she could tell he was not serious.

She made a noncommittal noise. "No, but at this point I'm simply a tool waiting to be utilized."

"A tool, eh?"

Her dead-eyed glare did not seem to affect him. He simply beamed at her with the enthusiasm of a young pup finding out they had a tail to chase.

"In some shape or form, people think of others as tools. Cruel yes, but such is the way of the world for the embittered," she forced out, uncomfortable with the topic.

He hummed. "Are you embittered?"

Hatsune huffed. "And are you not?"

"Maybe, maybe not, so who knows?"

She wanted to look somewhere else, preening at his stare, but for some reason she couldn't look away. Hatsune bit the inside of her cheek, hand twitching to massage her temple. "Whatever the case, I'll be stuck here for a while. Even if I try to do anything, you'll pop in without warning like you did earlier."

This earned her a devilish grin. "My, my, never did I think I could impress the _Melodic Angel._ "

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the moniker that still stuck to her until this day. "Think what you want."

"Oh I will. You're interesting, _Hatsu_."

The way her nickname rolled off his tongue ticked her, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. Instead, she gave him an indifferent look. "You know my name, I don't know yours," she said flatly.

She didn't think it was possible, but his grin stretched even wider. "Wanna play a guessing game with me?"

"Not really." ' _We already are.'_

The cloaked mercenary lurched back with a hand on his chest, mock horror pasted on his face. "So quick to reject, gah, that hurts my feelings, Hatsu."

She shot him an unimpressed look.

"Ah~ you're so cold!" He pouted, but then he straightened up from his slouch. "Well, guess I better go, boss is calling for me. See ya later, sunshine!"

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared and Hatsune frowned at the empty space he occupied. What a peculiar man… at least he clarified some things. She had to contemplate them now, even if all she wanted was to sleep and leave the thinking at a much later time. The logical part of her screeched that she most likely had a concussion, so sleeping would be _bad_ , but a larger part of her just wanted to sink into unconsciousness.

She was so, _so_ tired.

And she was drooping.

Something was telling her to stay awake, but…

She needed to…

But—

 _Not yet._

Hatsune bit at the inside of her cheek, and distantly tasted iron. Feebly, she made to move her abused leg, and the flare of absolute _pain_ got her to bite down a cry.

Sleep can wait a little longer.

The first order of business was to gauge how able she was, which much to her displeasure, involved being able to sit and move to the corner of the cell in a painstakingly snail-like pace. She was sweating and borderline ready to just throw up by the end, and she gladly released what remained in her stomach. A minute after, she leaned back at the smooth stone, careful about her injured leg.

Natural recovery can only do so much when it came to fixing a couple of strained tendons and broken bones, so she'd have to be mindful of it.

Second order of business then was finding out how much time had passed. Her stomach was a sign that more than a day or two had presumably passed. Her guildmates… she wondered how they were faring. Knowing them, they'd tear the ground apart to find her, like during their battle against Phantom Lord for Lucy.

Hopefully when they encounter these unknowns, they're cautious. Natsu and maybe Juvia would go ballistic at the mere prospect of her captivity, so she also hoped that the others have kept them in line.

"Delivery to one sunshine sweetheart coming right up~!"

Let it be known that Hatsune does not take too kindly to being taken by surprise, she wasn't used to it. She glowered at the redhead that sporadically appeared beside her.

"Geez, lighten up! And I brought you some food too…"

The mention of food got her stomach to emit a loud growl, and she turned her head away in embarrassment.

He snorted. "Come on, Hatsu, don't be shy." The teleporter then held up a spoon filled with some gray, viscous mush that faintly smelled like a stale cracker and nearly expired milk.

She crinkled her nose, both at his action and at the smell that wafted up to her nose. "Just leave the… _food_ here and let me eat in peace."

"I could but… I wanna feed you~!"

She shifted away from the redhead who was leaning towards her with a goofy smile. "I'd rather you not. I can still move, despite my injuries."

"I know."

"Then go away," she said dryly.

"You hate me that much, huh?"

"Yes."

He recoiled in mock hurt. "Ouch, sunshine, ouch. Spare a guy some dignity."

She only rolled her eyes at that, but stopped when the spoon was moved closer to her. "I said I can eat by myself."

He adopted a thinking pose, chin down and hand over his mouth, exaggerating his expressions and making him look slightly constipated. "Hm… nah, I wanna have you all to myself when I still can." Golden eyes seemed to sparkle, and he lifted his hand to show a rather seductive smile.

She felt her eye twitch. This man… "You're being awfully pushy. Is something going to happen?"

The cloaked mercenary sighed. "Look Hatsu _,_ I just wanna make sure you're up to speed on your recovery."

They must be overly confident they can put her down if she tried to escape _._ That… or they did want something from her. "Then you can just watch from outside while I eat."

"Nuh-uh!"

She frowned.

Eventually she had conceded to taking two spoonful of the slop (he claimed it was porridge made with _love)_ and Hatsu was never more grateful that she could endure the chatty man, staring into space as she was.

She was thankful when he finally left her to rest and think of her next move.

It was hard to keep track of time—thanks to the fact that she'd dozed off for a few moments without her knowing—but she had gotten used to the dullness of her magic. Her cuffs could only be removed by the one who placed it on her, at least from what she could barely read of the runic symbols, so breaking it was a bust.

She could only rely on her instincts, ears honing in on every minor _thunk_ and _crick_ , but there was no whistle of air indicating a quick out. Her leg and other minor wounds were a cause for concern because infection was highly probable, alongside her dirty clothes, but she could manage.

They were stupid to assume that just because they'd lock her Ethernano connection away, that would mean she was useless.

As for everyone else, she just hoped they're alright.


	5. Interlude - Two Sides

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairy Tail for it's by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

* * *

 **Interlude I:**

Two Sides

* * *

"That girl's a real piece of work."

The redhead glanced at the figure sitting imposingly behind the large mahogany table, and with a quirk of their brows, that was all it took for him to continue his tirade. "She's seriously high-strung, wouldn't doubt it if she had a stick up her ass or something. You'd think she'd show a little bit of emotion too, but _nooooo_ , she's about as dense as a damn rock. I feel like I'd have a better conversation with a wall."

If he didn't know any better, he may have doubted that the woman was the infamous _Melodic Angel._ Her moniker was a contrast to her personality and way of fighting, he mused, as she had the ability to utterly decimate anything in her way. Not to mention the… deadpan way she'd speak, even if her voice had a pleasing lilt to it, it's as if she couldn't be bothered about anything even with the situation nearly blowing up in her face.

"She's… real cautious and observant though," he begrudgingly tacked on.

He had to admit that she was interesting, especially when she ranted about the way people viewed others as tools, and how she was quick to assess her situation.

Well, if he was any other person, he would've knocked her out to stop her from doing so, but hey!

It was kind of amusing.

He'd really like to chat some more too, because he felt like he was _so_ close to getting under her skin. He could see her twitching in response to some of his comments.

They hummed in understanding, and with a hint of amusement that got him to smirk. "Yes, you'd best keep a close eye on her. I wouldn't put it past her to already be planning an escape route."

The cloaked mercenary rolled his eyes dramatically. "She ain't going anywhere under my watch."

And ain't that the truth. He had eyes everywhere, and it'd be a huge blow to his pride to miss even the tiniest scuffles of rats under the floorboards, or even how his 'guildmates' were doing some dumb intimidation fights from one side of the bar to the other.

The figure only nodded. "Continue the search in the meantime then, Ciel."

Ciel waved his hands dismissively, expertly hiding how disturbed he was hearing his name slip from their lips. They always sounded so… _off_.

Eh, whatever. It was just a matter of time until he'd get paid and he could run off anyways.

"Uh-huh. With the condition of the town, I'm sure we'll find her soon."

* * *

The first thing that registered in his mind was that _it hurt._

Gray slowly opened his eyes with a groan, but could only hiss in pain every time, black splotches decorating his sight. He instead feebly tried to feel for his limbs, which were unhelpfully aching. Labored breaths escaped him, alongside the absolute torture of something stinging at his sides, stabbing at his flesh relentlessly. That and, his muscles felt stiff, accompanied by the throbbing sensation at the back of his head only got him to stubbornly pursue the desire to _get up_.

"Please calm down, Gray," a familiar soft-spoken voice called out, and the sounds of footsteps and rustling of cloth, instinctively made him tense. "Don't get up yet, you were… beaten up pretty badly."

The presence was cloudy, body temperature slightly lower than normal. It didn't feel threatening. He distantly realized that perhaps this could be a ruse, but the hand that touched his bicep was gentle.

"So he's awake?" another voice inquired, this one male and infuriatingly familiar.

"About time!" an energetic one, slightly mocking, declared.

A snort, then a higher-pitched voice spoke derisively, though it was half-hearted at best. "As if you weren't knocked out, idiot."

What happened..?

Suddenly flashes of explosions and a battle echoed in his mind, the fearful expression written on a girl's face, and the roar of another who desperately tried to wrestle against their assailant. His own voice hoarse, because he wouldn't allow anyone else, _no one_ —

"Gray, _please_." The presence, he now came to conclude was Juvia, tightened her grip.

Forcefully blinking his eyes, he craned his neck to the side, and he automatically surveyed his surroundings. They… were in a relatively small bedroom, and the curtains were drawn open, letting the sunlight filter through the windows.

He then observed his teammates, all in varied states of weariness.

Juvia looked exhausted, hair hanging limp against her back, and bandages peered from under her thick, blue coat. Her face suffered a few bruises and cuts, but overall she strangely seemed beautiful. She'd always managed to that so.

Shaking that train of thought away, he turned his gaze to Jellal, who had discarded his cloak and armor, exposing his sleeveless sweater and cargo pants, tattered and full of cuts. He had a pensive look on his face, though he couldn't deny the relief that flashed by when he first laid eyes upon him.

Lucy and Natsu… the former was fine, save for her securely bandaged arms, while the latter was utterly banged up. Happy was out cold in the blonde's lap, and thankfully he was only sleeping.

Finally… there was no sign of the sound mage.

Subconsciously, he clenched his fists tightly. He wanted to ask if they had even managed to track down the kidnappers, but his throat was dry as sandpaper.

"W-water…" he croaked out.

Immediately, a glass full of water was pressed against his lips, and it was tilted in a way that could only allow him slow slips. He frowned, wanting to just grab it and down it all in one go like his body was pleading for him to do, but he reluctantly drank slowly under the rain woman's intense glare. It was… embarrassing to have to resort for help as the water dribbled down his chin with every sip, but he wasn't going to act like a petulant child.

He could hardly sit up, after all.

With that done, he trained a hopefully meaningful gaze at Juvia. Because if he couldn't do it, he'd have to ask for help, it was what the Master asked him to try anyways.

She stared at him, searching his face, before sighing and placing a steady hand on his back and shoulder. He bit his lip thanks to the rush of _pain_ that gone through his veins as he got up, and hissed once he was settled against the wall beside him. With a soft exhale, he looked down at himself, and was not surprised to see that he'd been mummified from the waist up.

He'd… fought a little bit too aggressively back then after all. He didn't regret a thing though, because he'd rather go down trying than standing around looking like a deer caught in headlights—not like last time.

"Since the ice weirdo is up, should we start, you know, talking about 'plans'?" Natsu asked with a hint of disdain at the last word, while he carefully hid the twitch in his eyes at the unnecessary label.

Jellal shifted from his position near the corner. "We should. We were blindsided by them and rushing in wouldn't serve us well."

The looks the tattooed mage gave Juvia and Natsu made him wonder if they'd done just that when he was out cold. He didn't have to wait for any confirmation though, because Juvia's face darkened, but willfully unrepentant, while the pink-haired fire spit let out an indignant _harrumph_.

Lucy suddenly cleared her throat, making everybody's head turn to her. "In any case, we stick with the original pairings sans Juvia—" She shot the bluenette a glance before continuing. "—she'll have to pair up with Jellal while Gray stays here to recover."

He immediately opened his mouth to retort, only to pause when she swiveled her head towards him with a stern glare. He wanted to go out there and _help_ , but… she had a point. He'd only be a burden at his sorry state.

Satisfied that he seemingly backed down, Lucy's eyes considerably softened a fraction before she was back into her usual self. "Natsu could go sniff the vicinity around for traces of Hatsune's or that creep's scent, and try to find clues about this dark guild's location."

Natsu grumbled something like _"Is she saying I'm a dog?",_ but it was Jellal's heavy sigh that caught everyone's attention.

"About that, there's something you all need to hear about Ryu."

Everyone, save Lucy, sent a questioning gaze at their guild's Oberon. "… This is about the inconsistencies, isn't it?" the celestial mage concluded more than asked, and to their surprise, Jellal nodded.

"The mere fact that the reward was that high when he'd claimed they couldn't afford barrier lacrimas when it would help alongside the commissioning of mages seems a little detrimental. And from what I've heard from Ivan and the other people when I headed over to their location, they have volunteers willing to fight since the rest of the townsfolk were seeking shelter at a nearby town for a _month._ If this dark guild was simply seeking out a random woman using the chimeras as distractions to their true intentions, and haven't found her yet here, why haven't they moved to another place instead? Why keep attacking Ensata?"

"Do you think this was a trap?" Gray hazarded a guess, feeling his gut churn at the implication.

"Maybe," he hedged. "This is all still guesswork though, and unless we have clear proof we'll have to put it aside. There's no way to know for sure until we catch those cloaked men, and get Hatsune back."

The atmosphere in the room quickly changed, one from glum and doubtful to brimming with steely determination. Sometimes he couldn't help but be stupidly amazed at how Fairy Tail mages acted. Even when he became one himself, their loyalty towards one other, how they'd boast of being _comrades_ … It was a foreign concept, one that sounded so ham-handed and dumb, but at the same time, it was _inviting._

Besides, strange it may be to admit but he did worry for the girl. She may be weird, slightly detached and stone-faced, with a gaze sharp and calculating everyone in sight, but… she was also caring in a way, mindful of others if a bit awkward. He wouldn't have really paid attention to her if not for the fact that she was a good friend of Juvia, and how he'd come to wonder why she'd stare at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

"… But loathe as I am to admit, we're gonna have to be careful but swift about the way we approach this."

He blinked in confusion, and he noted that he wasn't the only one. Jellal frowned, as if contemplating if he should've just stayed silent. In the end, he spoke up. "Master has told me that if we take too long on this, he'll have to issue a retreat."

His blood went cold.

Natsu shot up from his seat. " _What?_ Why would Gramps say that?"

"Yeah, Juvia doesn't understand. Master can instead send back-up for us, yes?" the rain woman similarly stood up, tense and with an edge of a growl in her voice.

Jellal muttered something under his breath, before he leveled them all a tired look. "Apparently the Magic Council has caught wind of the situation, and they're considering a purge of the town."

What? They planned to _burn_ this town to nothing?

"Building on what Hatsune has said, Master's told me that the Magic Council's really adamant in trying to keep the chimera's existences off the record. Apparently, the leak came from an anonymous source just a few hours ago, and they've gone crazy ever since."

The team was all taken aback, all with varying states of disbelief. Jellal was plainly disagreeing with that notion, because this was a matter of _human lives_ they were dealing with, and Gray couldn't help but feel the anger bubbling up his veins.

Sure, he'd once thought of others as faceless nobodies or labeled as foes to erase, but after his introduction to Fairy Tail, the thought just crossed him as inhumane.

In any case, all other thoughts were cut off when a loud bang of the door came with a brunette barreling through, and before anyone can speak, the woman instantly leveled him a scrutinizing stare that could have made him nervous, if not for him being still stuck on processing what was going on.

"You're up!" she yelled in relief as she dashed to his bedside, not reading the mood until she'd glanced back at the others. "If you're all done with the meeting, do you mind leaving us for a bit? The living room's empty at the moment. And don't say anything, young man."

He was at a loss for words at being shut down before he got a chance to open his mouth. The group exchanged curt looks then stepped out, and he could only watch as she began prodding at his bandaged wounds, messenger bag open and filled with bottles of medicine, wafting with a smell that he could only summarize as a hospital and a tea shop.

He realized that it was making him woozier.

"You can rest. Your group seems to have it handled as of now," she spoke in a confident manner, and smiled reassuringly.

The statement was welcome, but he still didn't like the idea of staying behind. "I…"

Her eyes shined knowingly. "No need to worry, Mister Fullbuster. Now _rest."_

Something glowed in her palms, and he succumbed to the drowsiness that abruptly blanketed him.


	6. Conundrums

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Fairy Tail as it's by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

Conundrums

* * *

She had been expecting something or someone to pop up since it was nearly breakfast—so she'd like to think in any case—and her hopes were not dashed.

Hatsune had been switching between rhythmically tapping her fingers at the edge of her cuffs and pulling at her links absentmindedly as she waited. She'd already finished sharpening the bits of stone scattered around her, and she'd put her analyzing on hold for the moment. It was around the time when the redhead would drop by with her food—as bland as it was compared to Laxus' cooking. It certainly lacked that tingle on her taste buds that came whenever he was the one who prepared the meal, especially when it was special desserts day—

Ah, she was homesick.

Shaking the thoughts away, the sound mage continued to wait.

And wait…

And wait…

And wait…

She grimaced. _Where is he?_

It took another minute or so, until the sound mage perked up. Something brushed against her hazy senses but… something was off.

Whenever she had 'sensed' somebody through her magic, she often compared it to melodies, and the way Ethernano thrummed through their cores and seeped into the atmosphere immediately clued her in to what their personalities and signs of their power would basically be.

Her redheaded captor's was nonchalant, as it crescendos into whimsical, bouncy notes before mellowing into a staccato that echoed distance. Although her muddled senses made her assessments slower, this one appeared to be a lot more… contained and elegantly moving in waves, confidently stringing a song that screamed highly _dangerous_.

She remained unmoving in the center of her cell.

The air felt charged, and the hairs on her skin rose.

There was some shuffling of rocks as animal-skin boots bumped against it, and finally stopped in front of her prison. A tall cloaked figure whose hood obscured their face stood there, and apart from the sword poking out from their side, she couldn't find other identifying markers on them.

"… Angelbeat," a baritone voice called out.

 _Young_ was the first thing that came to her mind, maybe around his early 20s.

"So I suppose you're their leader?"

The man stepped closer and laid a gloved hand on one of the bars. "Seeing you like this is quite a striking image."

He didn't answer her question, but the familiarity in his tone spoke volumes. An acquaintance of sorts… was he an old guild member? Someone she met along the road? Or maybe an old friend..?

"I doubt you'd remember me easily, not after all these years that had passed," he said as if reading her thoughts. _Who, who?_ "But in any case, it is quite a pleasant surprise that I stumbled upon you."

She shot him a suspicious look which made him chuckle. "Now, now, Angelbeat, I mean no harm."

"So you say…"

"Oh, where are my manners?" A slight bow of his head, and then he said: "My name's Ignis."

From beyond the veil, piercing silver eyes bore into her, and her very core _trembled._ It took everything for her not to back down. "I assume you're here to ask something of me."

"You assume correctly," he said. "I'll cut straight to the point. I need your help."

Hatsune's eyes narrowed, chips of ice met inquisitive orbs. "What makes you think I'll help you after this?" She gestured to her bruised body, the chains of her cuffs knocking against the floor like a death knell.

"That's incentive." _Coercion,_ her mind confirmed. "I know what you're thinking, and believe me, I'd rather we not resort to anything more drastic."

"And if I don't want to?" Her tone was defiant, but it came across defeated.

He tilted his head to the side, pausing as if weighing her words. "Well, I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, do you?"

They both knew.

"No," she acquiesced _._ Well, right now, no. "At least show me a face."

The hooded man chuckled once more at her final act of stubbornness. "Where's the fun in that?"

The sound mage suppressed the urge to snarl, and she put a lid on her rising frustration. "… Help with what?"

"Until you agree, I'm afraid I'll keep that information to myself." Even with his hood, she could tell he was smiling in triumph. "Well, I'll leave you there for now to think. I hope you have an answer soon." He started to walk away, but his last words left a sense of foreboding in the air.

"Time is ticking, Angelbeat."

* * *

For a long time, she sat there, numbly watching the lantern's flames flicker and its wick grow smaller by each passing minute. The redhead had already dropped by and handed her food, but she'd been too preoccupied to bother.

 _Time is ticking._

They were planning something big to happen soon.

 _Time is ticking._

She needed to get out.

 _Time was ticking._

Whatever role she had in their plans, it undoubtedly involved her magic. A part of her thought, _they wouldn't dare,_ but she'd long since witnessed what mankind was capable of.

Hatsune couldn't idle anymore, knowing what they likely wanted from her.

And so, she closed her eyes.

Meditation always gave her a sense of nothingness, akin to floating in an endless expanse of ocean with no fear of drowning. The state of just _being_ , and the gentle caress of her core that would normally relax her… A part of her was missing, _and it ached,_ but she let her mind _be._

To be was to exist. To exist was to live.

She would live.

The next thing that greeted her was the familiar nose-crinkling smell of food, and a holler. "Good morning, sunshine!"

She opened her eyes—the rush of reality settling in once more—just as he threw open the cell door and plopped down in front of her. "Glad to see you're looking less stuck in your head," he chirped, grabbing the bowl and scooping a generous amount of porridge. "I have plenty of stories to tell, you know~!"

She set her blank gaze at the man she had dubbed Dog-bastard in her head, because he was like a pesky dog that kept coming back and wagging its tail playfully—tauntingly. "I stand by my word that I can eat on my own," she dryly reminded him.

He pouted, and his eyes were watery with fake tears. "You don't accept my love?"

"Maybe when I get out and punch your face in."

He grinned impishly. "Good, you're learning! Here I thought your humor was stiff as a board."

She nearly rolled her eyes at the jab. "My sense of humor is fine without you butting in."

"Eh, you love me for it."

She simply crossed her arms, hiding the tremors, slight they may be. Nerves were bound to happen, for the probability of success depended on his reactions. The timing had to be right, and she couldn't afford to make a mistake.

"Ah, sunshine, I wonder when you do you ever smile?"

She had already spent too much time playing prisoner in isolation. Doubts had to be cast aside for the moment.

She threw the redhead a look.

The mercenary had eyes _everywhere,_ to the point that he could easily comment on when he was being called by their boss, when some random goon was drunk-singing somewhere in their hideout (and he'd chide them for breaking _mugs_ of all things), or when someone was a bathroom break. It was honestly quite a commendable feat of magic, to be able to process all that sensory information.

It was crucial that she took him down.

Those sharpened stones she discreetly hid in a small hole were part of a contingency plan she prayed she wouldn't use.

Hatsune shook her head, clearing her throat to catch the attention of the grumbling man. "Let's just get this over with."

He _beamed,_ golden eyes shining with absolute delight at her compliance, and scooted closer to her, lifting the spoon. She leaned in, mouth open—

 _" **Sleep deeply**."_

The air rippled—

His eyes widened, but that was all he could do as they fluttered shut, mouth parting with one last rushed intake of air, and his body fell to the side like newly-cut timber. The tableware clattered, the bowl's contents going _splat_ , and in a domino effect, the cup on the tray went flying in a spray of wasted water.

Her satisfaction at the scene was short-lived, and she screwed her eyes shut.

While she was blocked from _her_ core, Ethernano was still in the air, and speaking in a lower frequency allowed the particles to trigger. **Voice Command** was one of her most powerful spells for it can overwrite a person's will unless they were strong enough to ward its influence or blocked their sense of hearing completely.

Of course, magic of this kind had its drawbacks.

A strangled noise escaped her.

Two words made her gut _churn_ , acid clawing its way up her throat, and her headache doubled in intensity. Locked away it may be her core was disturbed by a dissonance which rattled her bones.

 _'Breathe in and out, in and out…'_

Her heart was pummeling into her ribcage, and gods, she wanted to lie down and curl into a ball _._

Not now. Breathe, and focus.

In any case, she was thankful that she'd caught the mercenary off-guard. She was counting on him to expect her attacking him with the improvised weaponry, and he—and Ignis—clearly didn't expect her to be able to use magic. It was that same visit that had confirmed the strength of the Ethernano in the area. It was a lesson to be learned.

She winced thanks to her still unhealed leg (she'd have to hope Porlyusica wouldn't get _too_ mad), but she forced herself to shuffle closer to the unconscious redhead. She rolled him over, not stirring in the slightest as she patted him for any signs of keys.

A sweets stash, dozens of knives, an old faded note filled with indecipherable scribbles…

No keys.

Seeing as he was able teleport, she had low hopes that he would have it—a temporary setback.

Rusty chains jangled, one light tug turned harsher the next, and soon, the wall that tied her to this spot eroded. It fell with a _clang,_ and Hatsune wrapped it around her body, over her upper torso and arms to distribute the weight. It was better than carrying it in a bundle.

Her gaze trained on the bars, no clear weaknesses that she could exploit.

It wasn't a problem.

Fingers traced the cool solid steel, and an ear pressed against it. Nothing, and then—

There!

Faint tinkling, distortions that weaved itself beyond normal human comprehension. Her brows knit together in concentration, head tipped to place her mouth against it. Anticipation thrummed in her veins.

 _" **Resonate**_

 ** _Break and emanate_**

 ** _My will, to desecrate"_**

The last note reverberated, spreading across each row in waves. Soon, she numbly watched the metal flaked away into fine powder and slowly drifted down her feet.

 **Resonance** had been one of her more flexible yet least used moves, for each object and organism had a frequency, and manipulating it was… _tricky_. She'd only tried it now since her options were limited.

Stepping out, she gazed down the empty, dark hallway.

Hatsune gave the redhead one last glimpse before entering the darkness.

The brief feeling of anxiety that washed over her almost made her think twice and go back for the lantern. It took a few seconds but she let her ears guide the way. Having a light source would alert any patrols, and she couldn't risk it.

Hatsune hurried her pace, but she kept an eye out for traps—as much as she can in the dim setting—and pressed on. Judging by the echoes, this was a complex underground cave system, which honestly explained a lot, and each step she took was the one of the only sounds she heard, apart from distant drops of water. It was enough to drive any person—mage or not—insane if left here long enough, especially in the dark.

The source of the water was her best chance, but it could potentially lead to a dead end. She had no idea how deep underground she was, and trying to dig herself out was going to take too long.

She walked on.

And walked…

And she walked endlessly.

Time seemed to be eternal in this place.

In what she believed to be nearly half an hour, she had dodged two traps, and nearly activated a pitfall trap before she found a glimmer of hope: the faded sounds of conversations. She knew it could be her mind playing tricks on her, but instincts were telling her otherwise.

Groping the wall, she ambled on, until she saw an orange glow. Turning the corner, she found herself staring at a lit torch… and a set of carved stone steps. She could've whooped for joy then and there, but it was too early for celebrations. Hatsune clambered up the steps that spiraled upwards, her grips on the chains tightening, and she applauded the person who constructed this place because it completely threw off her sense of direction.

Once she reached the top, she was face to face with a wooden door, and louder sounds of merry-making. The orange-haired woman carefully pried the door open, and she had to blink a couple of times to adjust to the lighting. She had emerged to a wide hallway of more stone and quite surprisingly, rows of curtained barred windows with sunlight seeping in from the cracks.

Her eyes surveyed the banners decorating the walls, showing three claw marks over a spiral—a guild mark.

Hatsune then frowned. It seemed that the guild hall of this place was two corners over, too close for comfort. She looked over to the left, where the noise was less.

She should go gather a bit of information… but she had to make it quick. Dog-bastard might wake up any minute now.

The sound mage made her steps as silent as possible, an action made easier by the purple carpet splayed on the floor, avoiding the random drunk or patrolling man. The many twists and turns she was being forced to make was making it difficult. The place appeared to be a sort of once-abandoned mansion, full of unused rooms and boxes, and thankfully, a somehow legible map of the building, which she committed to memory. There was even a room with many covered portraits, and checking them out confirmed that fact: a nobleman by the name of Arthur Zirconius II had once lived here.

Hatsune closed another door, an occupied room where a few men where snoozing off. She left them be, for she had no wish to resort to violence, and it would also compromise her position.

She was somewhere in the west wing, and if she continued this path, she'd enter the gardens. _'Just a little bit more,'_ she thought.

"Hey, you know just the—"

Crap.

She bolted into a room, and her pain _flared._ She hastily balanced herself, arms reflexively going up to shield her in case she fell, and much to her relief (and abused leg), she remained upright.

And then she laid her eyes of what was inside the room and felt her limbs go jelly.

"W-what the..?" she balked.

An odd, towering device stood at the end of what once seemed to be a library, with three speaker-like objects at the tip that disappeared past the hole in the roof. Pipes and bolts stuck out of the clunky, faded gold machinery, and columns of capsules with strange luminous liquid of various colors lead the eye to the centerpiece of it: a huge bluish bubble in the middle… where an outline indicating a human could be stuck inside was visible.

The sound mage spotted a table in the corner full of scrolls, and she pounced for it, unrolling every single one. Schematics, a list of names, results—

She felt her blood go cold.

This will cause mass hysteria, so much death and—

The blood drained from her face. She… she couldn't just leave now, not with this thing in front of her. No, she had to destroy this—!

The soft rustle of cloth made her freeze. "You know, it's funny how plans can get derailed with every unexpected factor."

She looked at the newcomer— _shit, shit, Ignis, why is he here?!_ She forced herself to swallow despite the lump in her throat. She needed to buy time _now._ "Why the hell are you doing this?"

His silver eyes were sharp, the intensity nearly sweeping her off her feet. "You already know, Angelbeat."

"This isn't right!" she yelled. Her fists clenched, crumpling the scroll in her hands. "A _revolution?_ No, this is insanity! _"_

"It's what _right,"_ he replied, cold and so resolute. The leader of the dark guild looked over the machine, and his voice dropped an octave. "The Magic Council is full of lies, deceit and corruption, and for all their words of protecting and bringing justice, they fail to do it when it matters the most."

"You—"

"They're _cowards!"_ His arms spread, and she was being sucked into those eyes. "And this will show the world their true nature!"

Hatsune backed into a shelf, and the chains on her body were heavy, ready to drag her down and choke her. _This… oh,_ gods, this was madness! The sound mage stared at the machine with growing horror, and she instantly knew, she had to get out. She needed to _warn them!_

Ignis let out a soft chuckle, and she tensed. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. The stage hasn't been set yet... the pieces still have to be assembled."

The air thickened, and—

Hatsune dived, just as something impacted the shelf she once stood in front of her. Splinters rained down around them, and she hurriedly jumped back again just as a blade swung overhead. She rolled over a table, landing in a crouch with a hiss.

' _Shit, shit, shit, my leg!'_

The table split, and she narrowly avoided another swing, the sword singing next to her. She gritted her teeth, and kicked a half of the table towards her enemy. It was cleanly cut, but that didn't matter, as she ran for the door—

A harsh pull at her hair made her yelp, and she fell back.

 _NO!_

A hand forced itself onto the floor, and in a one fast motion, Hatsu spun into a handstand, a heel slamming into the head of her assailant. A grunt was her reward, but she wasn't done yet, and she brought her other leg around, ignoring the spike of _pain_ as it struck true.

She recovered with an awkward flip, but that was all she could do at the bright flash of silver—

Her eyelids suddenly felt heavier, and she knew no more.


End file.
